What is restorative practice in schools?

Restorative practice is a values-based philosophy. Something I'm very passionate  about is that schools understand it as a philosophy, a way of thinking, a way of seeing things. But there are a set of skills. When we work in schools, the intention is twofold: To build positive relationships consciously, intentionally and on purpose, and to practice the context, a way of thinking to respond to harm or challenges in a way that honours relationships. So it's proactive and responsive. 

And when I work in schools, I use an acronym. In primary schools I use the FRIENDS acronym to make the values explicit, or I use a RESPECT acronym in the post-primary context to make the values explicit. When you think about the impact in schools, think about restorative practice not just as a set of things we do, but as a framework for how we view teaching and learning. 

How does restorative practice support relational school culture?

I think restorative practice as a vehicle to enhance a relational school culture. So, culture in schools is about our values: empathy, community, nurture, care. Schools that have a mission statement and ethos: here's our values and here's our actions and our practices  and our language, and they match. 

When you think about growing or enhancing a relational school culture I think it's really important that we bring all stakeholders with us. First of all, we need to change the mindsets or build the skills and language of the adults in the building so that they're modelling these practices. And then, of course, we try to build these skills and literacy, explicitly for students. So they have conflict literacy skills, relational skills for life. And then parents and other stakeholders, I think we need to build good will and good times. 

What are the challenges for schools?

One of the main challenges I see in schools trying to grow their commitment to restorative practice is a missed implementation of just engaging with the “train and hope for the best” model. When we think about that idea of culture change, that really requires consistent implementation. 

What schools need to think about is investing time, not on a training day, but on how we are going to live and implement this. Another challenge that I see in schools is that they rush to policy reform or their entry point for committing to restorative practices wants to change policy. But of course, we have to make sure that policy and practice match. So, to build up the literacy skills, that way of thinking, amongst the community is key. 

It's an authentic engagement or authentic policy reflecting practice. It's time to adapt and work within a system whilst trying to change the system. Restorative practice is about changing that punitive structure that's deeply embedded in our culture to more of a restart, of a relational one. But that takes time and nurturing and continuous support for those that are committed to it within a school context. 

How does restorative practice impact student behaviour and relationships?

One of the key things that we need to consider when working restoratively in schools is even moving away from the idea of behaviour management, and instead iterating to a switch from behaviour to relationship keeping. Sometimes people misunderstand restorative practices. 

For example, “Do what I say, but I'll ask you nicely.” We're looking for conformity and compliance or tips and tricks. We said it's a philosophy and it's that way of thinking. So, a traditional and punitive model can sometimes isolate those who are the most vulnerable. 

In a restorative approach, when we are looking at behaviour, we're saying, "All behaviour is communication. What is this communicating to us?" And when we look at the needs or unmet needs underneath the behaviour, then we can look at perhaps more adaptive approaches and seek and support, different ways of engaging. And it's not to say that we can always meet all our students’ needs, but when we think that way, we maintain an empathic bond or the potential for change exists. 

In a school that is engaging in that restorative approach, that relational approach has an impact on engagement. At the end of the day, good relationships are the foundation for effective teaching and learning, which is what schools are all about. 

How can we integrate restorative practice in classrooms?

First and foremost, it's key to model the practices. When I think of engaging, I'm thinking, "How am I showing up?, Who do I want to be in the situation?, How am I thinking, how am I speaking?, Am I modelling listening?, Am I modelling de-escalation skills?, Am I getting sucked into the power struggles?", which can sometimes happen. 

So for sure, it's all about that idea of thinking about the internal landscape, how I am modelling these practices for the young people but also in my classroom, that idea of connection before curriculum, making sure that I'm doing a little relational check-in, a little one-word quiz, just trying to connect intentionally with the students that I work with. 

It's those ways, those lenses, and having the literacy and language, the restorative questions, the restorative language to connect before we correct, that can really support those who are seeking to commit to that restorative approach in their own practice.