Professional Learning, Restorative Approaches

Understanding Restorative Approaches

Restorative Approaches principles can be found within our professional learning on Whole School Nurture, and within the principles of BPR (Building on Positive Relationships). It is an integral part of understanding behaviour (All Behaviour is Communication) and using the appropriate language to support positive relationships (Language is a vital means of communication).

Talk to your EP for more information about professional learning in this area.

What is Restorative Practice?

Supportive and trusting relationships develop through connection, empathy, trust and safety. Restorative approaches aim to support establishments to consistently apply the values, thinking and language needed for this process to be impactful, supporting inclusive learning communities. Where disagreements or frustrations occur, restorative practice prioritises relationships and repair processes. Through processes establishments can consider holistic relational practice and how they can develop and repair relationships further.

Restorative values promote relational connection, conflict resolution and reconciliation.
Restorative values create environments where social learning and personal development can be supported.
Restorative values embrace qualities such as open-minded thinking, compassion, empathy, perseverance and cultural sensitivity.

Restorative Principles

Principle 1. My thinking affects how I feel and this impacts on the actions I take.

Principle 2: Unless I know what another person is thinking or feeling I will not fully understand their behaviour.

Principle 3: Processing my thoughts first before acting will help me respond in a better way.

Using restorative language and having restorative conversations helps us to maintain our relationship with each other or repair a relationship when it has been damaged.

Restorative thinking often involves ‘thinking together’ which helps to develop our openness to alternative ways of thinking and potentially new ways of behaving.

Taking a restorative approach can generate opportunities for listening and participation, co-operation, building an awareness of social responsibility, and sensitively recognising social and cultural differences.

Universal Restorative – Relationship Building Approaches

Restorative Conversation
Restorative Circles

Targeted Restorative – Relationship Repairing Approaches

Meetings
Circles
Conferences

More information about Universal and Targeted approaches can be found here: Restorative Approaches to Support Positive Relationships and Behaviour (pdf)

You can download our Restorative Practice leaflet (pdf); also available in Arabic (Word), Ukrainian (pdf) and Russian (pdf).

You can also download a leaflet for parents (pdf).

A Restorative Approaches journal article looking at the impact of implementation of RA approaches within North Ayrshire can be found here.

Other useful links

Michelle Stowe – Restorative Practice
Empathy: The Heart of Difficult Conversations | Michelle Stowe | TEDxTallaght, on YouTube
Education Scotland: Restorative Approaches. Restorative approaches to support positive relationships and behaviour
Glasgow’s Restorative Approaches Framework (GRAF) Whole School Implementation Guide
Creating Restorative Communities Info Sheet 109, Pamela Morrison and Janine McCullough, Oct 2023
Brene Brown – Shame/empathy: Listening to shame | TED Talk
Step Inside the Circle – YouTube