1. Restorative Practices

2. Restorative Practices (in parallel with discipline system) St Columbas High School Pilot Phase : April 06 – December 06 Maintenance and Development 07 -09 Maureen McGlinchey Former Head Teacher

3. Restorative Practices Pilot Relationship management strategy Relationship management strategy Restorative Practice is an approach to offending and inappropriate behaviour which puts repairing harm done to relationships and people over and above the need for assigning blame and dispensing punishment. Restorative Practice is an approach to offending and inappropriate behaviour which puts repairing harm done to relationships and people over and above the need for assigning blame and dispensing punishment.

4. The two main elements Individual Conference: offered where the school considers a significant amount of harm has been done. Individual Conference: offered where the school considers a significant amount of harm has been done. Whole school : staff offered in –service training on restorative practices. Whole school : staff offered in –service training on restorative practices. 5 staff have been trained as conference facilitators and 34 have had basic skills training (39/58) 5 staff have been trained as conference facilitators and 34 have had basic skills training (39/58)

5. Basic Skills Training 3 twilight sessions 3 twilight sessions Background and philosophy Background and philosophy Restorative Conversations – prompt card Restorative Conversations – prompt card Engage the person harmed Engage the person harmed Encourage taking responsibility for actions Encourage taking responsibility for actions Restorative circles Restorative circles

7. Mhairis circle After 2 sessions After 2 sessions Impact on class behaviour Impact on class behaviour

8. Origami Exercise If youve been on the receiving end of harm, what do you need to make things better ? If youve been on the receiving end of harm, what do you need to make things better ? When you have done something which has caused harm or upset to someone, what do you need to make things better ? When you have done something which has caused harm or upset to someone, what do you need to make things better ? When things go wrong in your school, how does your school deal with it ? When things go wrong in your school, how does your school deal with it ?

9. Retributive Justice Rule breaking Rule breaking Blame or guilt Blame or guilt Adversarial Adversarial Punish to deter Punish to deter Impersonal Impersonal Victims ignored Victims ignored Accountability = being punished Accountability = being punished

10. Restorative Justice Wrong doing or harm Wrong doing or harm Problem solving Problem solving Dialogue and negotiation Dialogue and negotiation Restitution / Reparation Restitution / Reparation Interpersonal Interpersonal Victim empowered Victim empowered Accountability = put things right Accountability = put things right

11. Bullying Incident : Kathleen Taking responsibility Taking responsibility Working within formal discipline system Working within formal discipline system

12. Facilitators Training 4 days followed by regular network meetings 4 days followed by regular network meetings Restorative Conversations Restorative Conversations Victim Awareness Victim Awareness Support for persons harmed Support for persons harmed Shuttle dialogue Shuttle dialogue Restorative meetings Restorative meetings Restorative Conferencing Restorative Conferencing Restorative Circles Restorative Circles

13. Shuttle Dialogue : S1 pupil sprayed a pungent gas on a pupil from a nearby primary S1 pupil sprayed a pungent gas on a pupil from a nearby primary Both agreed to take part in process Both agreed to take part in process Consequences : fear, missed medical appointments, loss of earnings Consequences : fear, missed medical appointments, loss of earnings Letter of apology Letter of apology

14. Restorative Conference Eileens Story Eileens Story Face to face Conference Face to face Conference Preparatory meetings Preparatory meetings Impact of Conference Impact of Conference

15. Community Building Circles To prevent conflict and resolve problems within the school community To prevent conflict and resolve problems within the school community To develop a commitment to community, mutual respect, a willingness to listen to each other, to restore relationships etc.. To develop a commitment to community, mutual respect, a willingness to listen to each other, to restore relationships etc.. To enable staff and students to work together to resolve conflicts in a win-win setting To enable staff and students to work together to resolve conflicts in a win-win setting

16. Community building circle Specific issue Specific issue Paul - Facilitator Paul - Facilitator

17. Pupils Views : What is good about circle time ? Helps people feel better about themselves Helps people feel better about themselves Helps stop the behaviour and stops people disrupting the class Helps stop the behaviour and stops people disrupting the class Lets people speak their mind Lets people speak their mind Get to say what you feel without being worried about getting bullied after school Get to say what you feel without being worried about getting bullied after school Gives you a chance to think about all the wrong things you are doing in class and how you can improve Gives you a chance to think about all the wrong things you are doing in class and how you can improve

18. What difference does it make to your class ? It helps people to understand what they have done wrong It helps people to understand what they have done wrong Should do more of it so people can realise their behaviour is wrong Should do more of it so people can realise their behaviour is wrong We should do it in every class to help improve behaviour in all classes We should do it in every class to help improve behaviour in all classes It helped people to stop misbehaving It helped people to stop misbehaving

19. Evaluation : Main Findings Individuals harmed – satisfied with process – helped to repair harm caused Individuals harmed – satisfied with process – helped to repair harm caused Persons responsible – realised impact of their behaviour ; took responsibility ; agreed an action plan Persons responsible – realised impact of their behaviour ; took responsibility ; agreed an action plan Number of staff using restorative approach doubled Number of staff using restorative approach doubled Majority of staff considered restorative practices to be an effective and more helpful strategy for dealing with incidents where pupils had harmed another person Majority of staff considered restorative practices to be an effective and more helpful strategy for dealing with incidents where pupils had harmed another person

20. Main Findings Pupils did not report a reduction in incidents involving harm although teachers reported fewer removals from class Pupils did not report a reduction in incidents involving harm although teachers reported fewer removals from class Reduction in exclusions – no of exclusions per 1000 pupils down by 24% on the previous year Reduction in exclusions – no of exclusions per 1000 pupils down by 24% on the previous year

21. Recommendations and Action SCHOOL Continue use of conferences and shuttle dialogues Continue use of conferences and shuttle dialogues Training opportunities for staff in basic skills and in the use of circles Training opportunities for staff in basic skills and in the use of circles PSHE – Weekly - Circle time in every class to discuss issues PSHE – Weekly - Circle time in every class to discuss issues AUTHORITY- WDC AUTHORITY- WDC Set up EA facilitators network Set up EA facilitators network Extend Restorative Practices to other schools in WDC Extend Restorative Practices to other schools in WDC Evaluate longer term impact Evaluate longer term impact