Restorative Justice

[Nowtherave]

Anyone out there using it? Looking for behaviour systems for my school (primary, rural, 170 on roll). I feel our behaviour system is too convoluted and my head asked me to find out more, as he's heard about it but there's nothing going on in our cluster. Thanks!

It was the basis of the behaviour system at my previous school. I wasn't a fan. It involves both parties - the teacher and student - discussing an incident and reaching an agreement and way forward. Both sides are heard. My issue was that it requires students to have the emotional intelligence to negotiate and reach a compromise, and to be self-reflective, which was unrealistic, especially for the younger ones. For me it gave them the idea that students and teachers have equal authority and schools can't operate in that basis.
Just my experience - that was at a challenging inner-city secondary school.

That's really interesting, thank you. It definitely am of the school of thought that teachers need to assert the authority! It must take up a lot of time too.

I work in a school for children with behavioural problems.

We use restorative justice, and find it works very well. It tends mainly to be used between pupils who have had issues with one another.

As Msfireman said above, both sides get to tell their side of the story, and sometimes that's all it needs. It tends to be six of one, half a dozen of another. It comes down to misunderstanding, miscommunication etc, and works for the best part.

We also use a points system. Each learner starts the day with 100 points. Points are removed for poor behaviour on a tariff system. So ignoring an instruction would be minus 2 points for example. an physical assault is 25 points. swearing at someone is minus 10 points etc.. learners are rewarded at the end of the week with a certificate...bronze, silver, gold, platinum. At the end of half term, children who have a certain number of points are eligible for a reward trip. The kids are told every day what their points are, and we display it up on the wall too.

Before points are removed though, we do a lot of chivvying along, a lot of reminding, a lot of coaxing and encouraging etc.

short term rewards for good behaviour are things like ipad gaming time, choosing an item from the treat basket (£1 shop type goodies), phonecalls home for good behaviour.

not sure if this is the sort of thing you're after?