Restorative Approaches In Fife

Background
Restorative Approaches are being developed within a range of initiatives in Fife, all driving towards the same end – the creation of an ethos in our schools which:

• is caring, mutually supportive, empathetic, engaging, collegiate, non threatening but challenging - and within a framework where responsibility and accountability is made clear and confidentiality respected

• acknowledges that teaching and learning should happen 'with' and not 'to'

• is refreshed and informed by regular trawling of staff/pupil/parent opinions and attitudes

• builds a school community whose features are tolerance, respect and an acknowledgement that we are mutually interdependent, that the health and well being of everyone is interconnected. In this community, the way we communicate and treat each other is paramount.

Key Aspects
The key aspects of the Scottish approach to Restorative Approaches are described in the article “Defining Restorative Practices” in the Restorative Practices section of this web site.

The Fife approach within the pilot is characterised by the following:

• Local ownership: Schools have to want to travel the Restorative Approaches road and take ownership of the review/planning/implementation and evaluation processes – and they have. Where appropriate, there is an acceptance that Restorative Approaches can sit beside and articulate with sanctions for schools will be faced with behaviours which for a variety of reasons they will judge can be most effectively addressed in the first instance via their disciplinary code

• Detailed Action plans: These are regularly reviewed and evaluated, and sit within their school development plans

• Training needs and support: Each school has identified its own needs and, as the pilot has unfolded, has taken responsibility whenever possible for targeting delivery based on mutually identified need even where this involves using external agencies

• Climate setting: Running alongside the above is the need to raise awareness and commitment with all stakeholders, teaching and non teaching, for the schools are accepting that the Restorative Approaches culture embraces all. Some schools have preferred a whole school approach while others a progressive, ‘ripple’ approach

• Support network: The schools meet regularly (and are visited regularly by the Development Coordinator) to share experiences and practices and are encouraged to support each other’s training needs

• Articulation with other initiatives: The schools are tapping into other initiatives that complement Restorative Approaches e.g. the use of ‘Cool In School’ (see separate section of ‘Initiatives’ in this web site; Rickter Scale; Person Centred Planning; Xl Clubs; Staged Staff Support.

• Recognition that this is not driven by the Youth Justice model: The unfolding educational model eschews the notion of ‘offenders’ who are dealt with by specialist staff. Yes, there will be staff who might well be trained in specialist skills e.g. in managing high tariff restorative case conferences or returns from exclusion, but in essence Restorative Approaches has a school community focus, to which all staff and students can contribute to a greater or lesser degree

Impact
One of our head Teachers describes how much 'calmer' her school has become since Restorative Approaches were embedded within her School Development Plan and ethos builders. The number of incidents logged has declined and, yes, things do go awry but there is a confidence that the outcomes are likely to be positive.

Maybe that is it - with Restorative Approaches schools can become calmer and pleasanter places to be. A key task will be roll out to the wider school community the lessons learned from the pilot.

Mike Ciesla, Fife Council Education Service, December 2006.