Restorative and inclusive schools in Gloucestershire

In 2016, Gloucestershire schools were the 4^th highest in the number of exclusions across the country. The Council implemented restorative practice pilots across children’s services and extended this to two schools. The initial impact was positive and the Secondary School reduced their suspensions by 54 per cent in the first year and increased their overall attendance by 1.3 per cent, the Primary School reduced their suspensions by 82 per cent in the first year and increased overall attendance by 1.5 per cent.

In 2017, the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) was brought into the restorative practice programme and resulted in the development of trauma informed relational approaches which schools picked up, improving attendance, inclusion and improved relationships across the school environment. 

Now the programme is supported by a team of six in the council’s education department who run a series of training programmes to support schools to develop a whole school approach to relational and restorative practice. The three year programme, entitled Relational Schools, is focused on supporting schools to identify and embed change. The first year focuses on the leadership to ensure change is led from the top, the second year considers relational practice development across the whole school; teachers, lunch staff, receptionists and the final year considers the offer to pupils and families. 

The programme is embedded in Perry’s model of Neurosequential therapeutics which considers the 3 R’s: regulation, relating and reasoning and built upon by Louise Bomber who adds in a fourth R: repair in her book ‘Know me to teach me’. The training includes a range of different modules including attachment, trauma, shame and ACEs, harm and conflict, SEND, resilience, co-regulation and restorative language. The team use the latest findings from psychology and neuroscience to develop the programme as new evidence emerges on what works to support children and young people. 

The approach is clear that poor behaviour has consequences, and that when a restorative approach is followed then accountability and responsibility for their own behaviour is crucial for the young person. The focus is on support to repair relationships, this includes meeting any unmet needs and understanding the causes of poor behaviour. The intention is for every young person and adult in the school to feel safe and bring their true selves to school. 

If a school goes through the process of taking part in the programme, there is a focus on ensuring that all policies and approaches in the school align with a relational, trauma informed and restorative practice approach, such as behavioural management policies. The programme has been designed to move away from a ‘train and hope’ model of training and is an immersive, experiential experience where staff and pupils get to experience a relational and restorative approach. This is a way of being with each other in all relationships, not a thing to do sometimes, with some people. 

Over 70 schools have taken part with 45 schools going through the Relational Schools programme. The schools adopting this approach have found that the children in their care feel safe, heard, happy, and say they have a trusted adult they can talk to. The school environment is also calmer. This is leading to improved teacher retention, with reduced absences due to work-related stress and improved feedback from staff on their desire to stay within the profession. Ultimately this has all resulted in improved mental health among both the children and staff.  

The council is now exploring how they roll out relational and restorative practice more widely and are working closely with HR and OD to bring the approach into policies and practices across the council. 

Molly Macleod, Restorative Practice Service Lead

[email protected]