A community functions and succeeds because of strong relationships.

Several of the initiatives at Carr Manor Community School are focused on building and working on these strong relationships.

At our last inspection, Ofsted said “the relationships between staff and pupils are extremely positive.”

One way in which we achieve that success is through restorative practice. We have been embedding and developing relational practices for over fourteen years, and restorative practices for over eight years. We have a high number of pupils in school who are trained as ‘restorative practice’ representatives. This means they have received specific training on how to facilitate restorative conversations. These representatives put these skills into practice with their peers by supporting self-regulation, facilitating repair, encouraging problem solving, creating connections and building relationships.

Restorative practice ensures we prioritise equity over equality. We focus on challenging teaching and learning to improve performance and outcomes, alongside a high level of support to pupils and staff.

The culture of belonging that has emerged has had a significant impact on both the well-being of staff and pupils in our school. This is because everyone is valued and listened to.

Conversations based on these principles means that everyone is aware of what is expected and what is acceptable, as well as what can be done to resolve any difficulties.

Since our use of restorative practice, attendance has increased and the number of exclusions has fallen. We see this as a result of the stronger relationships forged.

How does restorative practice benefit our pupils?

Restorative practice ensures that every voice in school is heard. It encourages pupils to treat others with respect and to understand why relationships are so important.

Our restorative approach helps pupils:

  • understand how their actions can affect others

  • develop characteristics they can use in and out of school

  • understand themselves and each other better

  • learn why it’s important to see another person’s point of view

  • see that it’s ok to make mistakes

  • learn how to move through conflict creatively

Restorative Practice Immersion Days

We often hold Restorative Practice Immersion Days, where visitors from other schools and organisations can see first hand how restorative practice works in our school. You can find more information about these days below.

We offer full immersion days that introduce the key principles and practices of RRP for senior leaders. We would encourage anyone interested in working with us to attend one of these days as a starting point.

We also offer twilight, half day or whole day training to raise awareness of restorative practice. This demonstrates the impact of RP on KPIs and how it ‘feels’ to be in a restorative organisation.

We can help you build capacity in your organisation by developing your knowledge of how to change, and the ability to act restoratively. This support helps organisations to think like us, but not necessarily by doing the same things we do. We can also offer bespoke training and development for your organisation on request.

These immersion days are part of the offer that our Support Services team can offer. For further information, and to see upcoming events, please visit: www.carrmanorsupportservices.org.uk/restorative-practice/

You can also fill in this enquiry form and we will get back to you with further information.