Restorative practice

Restorative Practice

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Ephesians 4:32

At Our Lady & St Joseph Catholic Primary School, we believe that positive relationships are at the heart of a happy, safe and successful school community. Guided by our Catholic values and the teachings of Christ, we use a restorative approach to support children in understanding the impact of their actions, taking responsibility for their behaviour and repairing relationships when difficulties arise.

Restorative Practice encourages children to reflect on their choices, recognise how others may feel and work collaboratively to resolve conflicts in a respectful and meaningful way. Rather than focusing solely on sanctions, we help children to learn from mistakes, rebuild trust and develop the skills needed to maintain positive relationships throughout their lives.

Through restorative conversations, children are supported to think about:

• What happened?

• What were you thinking and feeling at the time?

• Who has been affected and how?

• What can be done to put things right?

• How can we make a better choice next time?

This approach helps children to develop empathy, emotional literacy, resilience and accountability. It empowers them to communicate effectively, listen to different perspectives and resolve disagreements peacefully. Restorative Practice also strengthens our school community by fostering a culture of respect, kindness and forgiveness.

By embedding restorative approaches throughout school life, we support our children to become thoughtful, responsible and compassionate individuals who understand the importance of treating others with dignity and respect. In doing so, we help them to live out our mission statement:

"With Christ at our centre, we love, listen and learn."