Restorative Approaches in Schools Project- Fact Sheet
Why a Restorative Approaches in Schools?
• School is a big part of a young person’s life. A restorative approach
in school requires students to think about themselves and how they deal with one
another, and to work on developing healthy relationships and learning how to manage
conflict.
• Adopting a restorative approach in a school can have a positive ripple
effect into the home and the community.
What are the benefits to students?
• A child’s first year, first month, first week, and even their first day in school
will have a significant impact on how they view schooling for the rest of
their lives and on how they view themselves relative to their peers. A restorative approach in the early school years and continued throughout a child’s education will have a strong influence on the individual.
• Students will have more opportunities to figure out how to be in
appropriate relationships and to manage diversity. This has important implications for how students get along and will play a role in reducing bullying behaviours.
• A restorative approach gives students better skills and knowledge for problem
solving.
• Students will largely avoid the stigma of being “sent to the office” or
being suspended. We should not underestimate the negative side effects of a
child’s experience at school if that experience involves multiple trips to the principal’s
office or suspensions from school.
What results will students and families see?
• A restorative approach in schools offers new knowledge, methods and skills for
problem solving. Children using these restorative skills latch on to
them and thrive, leading to better behaviour and relationships
overall.
• Schools that use this approach report that students often solve
problems on their own without adult intervention.
• Parents will notice that their children are demonstrating a different
way to resolve conflict at home. Parents with children in schools using a restorative
approach report more harmony at home as they and their children practice the same
skills that teachers and students are using at the school.
What results will schools see?
• A restorative approach in schools helps students become more attached to their
school, which encourages education and discourages absences or “dropping
out,” giving students a better chance at being successful in
life.
• A restorative approach in schools works alongside and supports all the other
things we are doing to keep kids in school.
• A restorative approach in schools gives back time to educators so they can focus
on teaching.
• A consistent restorative approach reduces the level of stress around
relationships, whether student-to-student or student-to-teacher.
• A common thread that runs through almost every conflict that schools deal with is
the perception that only one side is being heard, that one side is
being valued over the other. A restorative approach reduces that perception and
supports faster and more satisfying conflict resolution.
What are some of the methods that are used?
• A collection of restorative practices support a restorative
approach in schools. Some examples of restorative practices are:
o affective statements and questions (language that describes how
something made someone feel – sometimes students are not aware of the
impact their behaviour might have on others).
o restorative conversations (conversations that help teachers support an
open dialogue starting with questions like “Can you tell me what
happened and how you became involved?” instead of “Why did you do
that?”).
o restorative meetings (staff meetings and parent/School Advisory
Council meetings that are organized to encourage authentic engagement
through the use of circle processes).
o restorative conferences (formal responses to serious incidents led by a
facilitator that involves all parties including support persons).
o classroom circles (circles are structured but semi-formal opportunities for
connection among students. They can include, check-in circles and check-out
circles to gauge how students are feeling at the beginning and at the end of the
day, circles to establish classroom norms, circles to discuss academic goals, circles
to address behaviour problems or even proactive circles. They are an effective tool
to build community in a classroom).
• School is a big part of a young person’s life. A restorative approach
in school requires students to think about themselves and how they deal with one
another, and to work on developing healthy relationships and learning how to manage
conflict.
• Adopting a restorative approach in a school can have a positive ripple
effect into the home and the community.
What are the benefits to students?
• A child’s first year, first month, first week, and even their first day in school
will have a significant impact on how they view schooling for the rest of
their lives and on how they view themselves relative to their peers. A restorative approach in the early school years and continued throughout a child’s education will have a strong influence on the individual.
• Students will have more opportunities to figure out how to be in
appropriate relationships and to manage diversity. This has important implications for how students get along and will play a role in reducing bullying behaviours.
• A restorative approach gives students better skills and knowledge for problem
solving.
• Students will largely avoid the stigma of being “sent to the office” or
being suspended. We should not underestimate the negative side effects of a
child’s experience at school if that experience involves multiple trips to the principal’s
office or suspensions from school.
What results will students and families see?
• A restorative approach in schools offers new knowledge, methods and skills for
problem solving. Children using these restorative skills latch on to
them and thrive, leading to better behaviour and relationships
overall.
• Schools that use this approach report that students often solve
problems on their own without adult intervention.
• Parents will notice that their children are demonstrating a different
way to resolve conflict at home. Parents with children in schools using a restorative
approach report more harmony at home as they and their children practice the same
skills that teachers and students are using at the school.
What results will schools see?
• A restorative approach in schools helps students become more attached to their
school, which encourages education and discourages absences or “dropping
out,” giving students a better chance at being successful in
life.
• A restorative approach in schools works alongside and supports all the other
things we are doing to keep kids in school.
• A restorative approach in schools gives back time to educators so they can focus
on teaching.
• A consistent restorative approach reduces the level of stress around
relationships, whether student-to-student or student-to-teacher.
• A common thread that runs through almost every conflict that schools deal with is
the perception that only one side is being heard, that one side is
being valued over the other. A restorative approach reduces that perception and
supports faster and more satisfying conflict resolution.
What are some of the methods that are used?
• A collection of restorative practices support a restorative
approach in schools. Some examples of restorative practices are:
o affective statements and questions (language that describes how
something made someone feel – sometimes students are not aware of the
impact their behaviour might have on others).
o restorative conversations (conversations that help teachers support an
open dialogue starting with questions like “Can you tell me what
happened and how you became involved?” instead of “Why did you do
that?”).
o restorative meetings (staff meetings and parent/School Advisory
Council meetings that are organized to encourage authentic engagement
through the use of circle processes).
o restorative conferences (formal responses to serious incidents led by a
facilitator that involves all parties including support persons).
o classroom circles (circles are structured but semi-formal opportunities for
connection among students. They can include, check-in circles and check-out
circles to gauge how students are feeling at the beginning and at the end of the
day, circles to establish classroom norms, circles to discuss academic goals, circles
to address behaviour problems or even proactive circles. They are an effective tool
to build community in a classroom).