1. Scenario 22: Restorative Approaches (B)
Behaviour Scenarios
A specially commissioned set of resources for tutors, school mentors and trainee teachers
Scenario 22: Restorative Approaches (B) 1

2. Restorative Approaches (B)
Scenario 22
Restorative Approaches (B)
(This scenario is linked to, and is a development of, Scenario 10)
Scenario 10: Defusing a conflict between pupils. You are walking across the play area and two pupils start to push and shove each other. Other pupils shout, “Fight, fight!” and start running towards the scene.
What do you do?
Scenario 22: After your immediate response to the situation, you have been asked to call the pupils involved together.
How can restorative approaches be used to help the participants resolve their differences? 2

3. Key Learning Outcomes
Finding out more about the use of restorative approaches and the ways in which they can be adopted by trainee teachers.
Modelling and reflecting on the values in these approaches and raising interest in further training.
For restorative approaches to be effective, specific training is needed, ideally not just for individuals but for all the staff in a school. Restorative approaches are increasingly used in schools and you are likely to come across trained staff who can help you to find out more.
Relevant QTS Standards: Q1, Q4, Q7 a) & Q7 b) 3

4. What do you do?
Tell the pupils that you are not going to put up with that sort of nonsense in future and arrange appropriate sanctions.
Ask both pupils to tell you briefly what happened and, provided that this does not reveal deeper problems, arrange, with their agreement, to talk to them together.
Explain to the pupils that they have let themselves, their parents and the school down and should make a public apology.
Once the pupils have heard what happened from each other’s viewpoint, ask each one who else has been affected. Ask also what needs to happen for the situation to be put right.
Encourage them to devise a written agreement about what they will do to resolve the situation, sign it and arrange for a review.
Having agreed who was to blame, get them to make up and shake hands. 4

5. Which are the restorative choices?
The following choices are restorative because they allow the participants to listen to each other’s account of what happened and what they were feeling at the time, consider their own and each others needs, and find a way forward. They form parts of a restorative discussion:
2. Ask both to tell you briefly what happened and, provided that this does not reveal deeper problems, arrange, with their agreement, to talk to them together.
4. Once the pupils have heard what happened from each other’s viewpoint, ask each one who else has been affected. Ask also what needs to happen for the situation to be put right.
5. Encourage them to devise a written agreement about what they will do to resolve the situation, sign it and arrange for a review.
(cont.) 5

6. (cont)
The other approaches are not restorative because they do not restore relationships, nor do they allow those who are most affected any part in finding a solution. If the teacher decides on the outcome, it is unlikely that either party will feel happy about the situation as they may both feel victimised and one my fear future reprisals.

7. What other restorative approaches could be used?
Many schools have trained peer mediators (e.g. the playground friends scheme) who can be asked to talk to pupils before situations get to this point. The pupils themselves may ask the peer mediators to become involved.
The school can include restorative approaches in its Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) programmes, so that pupils know what to expect and learn the skills for themselves.
The modelling of positive relationships and use of restorative language such as: “What happened?” “What is your part?” “Who has been affected?” “What do you need to make you feel better/need to do to put things right?” by all staff at every opportunity helps to create the climate in which restorative approaches become the norm. 7

8. Restorative Approaches involve, in one way or another, the techniques of:
listening to both sides of the story without pre-judging the issues
asking participants to explain their thoughts and feelings at the time (this can be very brief)
identifying the harm caused and who has been affected.
considering the needs of the participants
asking what should happen to repair the damage, put the situation right or ensure the problem does not arise again, as is appropriate.
Restorative questions are used, such as
What happened?
Who has been affected?
What were you thinking/feeling at the time?
Who has been affected and how?
What do you need to feel better about this?
What could you do/needs to happen to put the situation right/repair the harm?”

9. Underlying principles
The purpose of restorative approaches is to heal harm and restore.
It is important that those involved work out a way forward rather than having it imposed on them by anyone else.
Those who have been harmed have the chance to explain how the events have affected them and say what their needs are.
Those who have harmed others also have the opportunity to explain their point of view, which can help the person harmed to understand how and why the situation happened.
This can also prevent the person who has caused the harm from feeling that he or she is a victim of an unfair system and thus reduce the chance that the matter will remain unresolved.
The process is voluntary. If it is to work, those who agree to take part will need to take responsibility for what they have done and take actions to put the situation right. 9

10. Rights and Responsibilities
When those involved in a conflict take responsibility for solving the problem in a way that repairs harm and is satisfactory to everyone affected, then they have the right to have the situation restored amicably.
All parties have a right to be heard, and an equal responsibility to listen.
The process will only work if the people involved are prepared to find a way forward and all have a responsibility to abide by that commitment.
This is particularly the responsibility of anyone who has caused harm. They must want to restore matters.
The facilitator takes the responsibility for ensuring that ground-rules are kept, and restorative questions asked, in order to help the participants resolve the conflict. 10

11. Activities to try
Watch the Teachers TV programmes suggested on slide 10 with a fellow trainee. Draw up an ‘action plan’ for applying what you have learned. Decide how you might practise the approaches and feed back to each other on the outcome.
With a small group of other trainees, arrange to visit a school which works restoratively – a tutor might be familiar with one. Find out as much as you can about its practices and the variety of approaches employed. Decide how you could apply some of the approaches in your teaching and feed back to each other on the outcome. 11

12. Want to find out more? References on the B4L site
Teachers TV – Secondary Management - Restorative Justice in Action 1
Teachers TV – Secondary Management - Restorative Justice in Action 2
Teachers TV – Laters – A Restorative Approach in Schools
Websites:
Restoring the Balance 2; Lewisham Council ( ) 12

13. Conclusions
What is the key message have you gained from this scenario material?
How might you apply this approach in your own practice in school.
Further insights and notes for tutors and mentors are available on the website
Updated August 2009