Restorative Practices
The school utilises a range of proactive strategies to support the development of its students; to foster student capacity; and offer opportunity for demonstrating personal leadership and responsibility. This informs the work we do in class, the activities we offer and the ways in which we involve students in decision-making in our community.
One component of the school's proactive strategies is the restorative justice framework by which the school manages student behaviour and supports positive growth. The relationships that comprise our community are the foundation of this framework; relationships between students, teachers and students; and students and the school. Year 7 and 8 students as separate cohorts, have developed a framework of expectations in discussion with their Homegroups. They are a combination of the school’s standards and the students’ beliefs about how they can embody the values of our community, and they establish, in the students' voice, what they want from their community, how they can be held accountable, and what they aspire to achieve every day at school. These documents are central to the successful work and operation of the Middle Years.
When mistakes are made, the framework can be drawn on to repair harm and restore relationships. There are a range of restorative strategies that can be used but, in common, there is a process of discussion and reflection to consider the impacts of the behaviour performed, and then a process of rehabilitation and reconciliation which empowers the students involved to grow from the experience. There are, importantly, consequences. The consequences of restorative practices aim to be natural and logical. Logical in that students develop understanding and desire to engage in positive, rewarding relationships. Natural in that they fit the circumstances involved and the right interventions are employed. There is a common conception that restorative justice is contrary to punishment, but this is wrong. In place of an inflexible and punitive approach, a restorative framework focuses on the individuals involved in balance with the expectations of the community.
There is growing evidence from a variety of settings and sectors that restorative practises reduce and prevent harmful behaviour and successfully resolve conflict. At the same time, there is no denying that restorative practices are demanding, requiring significant investment of time and energy from adults, professionals and young people alike. The results are, I believe, worth it: The focus on character development, on reparation focused on growth and the repair of harm through accountability and the development of prosocial and conflict resolution skills are worth the investment from everyone. Restorative practices appeal to, as Griffith University criminologist Kathleen Daly says, “a set of ideals about justice that assume a generous, empathetic, supportive and rational human spirit.” This is a significant and worthy goal for all in our community.
Tristan Hill
Middle Years Coordinator