Restorative Practice at Ysgol Y Bryn

At Ysgol Y Bryn, we place great emphasis on building strong, respectful relationships between pupils and staff. A key approach we use to support this is Restorative Practice — a strategy that helps resolve conflicts, repair harm, and restore positive relationships when things go wrong.

What is Restorative Practice?

Restorative Practice is a way of thinking and behaving that promotes responsibility, empathy, and mutual respect. Instead of focusing solely on punishment, restorative approaches aim to understand what happened, how it affected others, and what needs to be done to repair the situation.

Restorative Practice at Ysgol Y Bryn is used proactively, to build a strong school community, and reactively, when harm or conflict has occurred.

Restorative Practice in Action

When disagreements or behavioural incidents arise, our staff support children using a structured, calm, and respectful conversation often referred to as a restorative chat.

We use four key questions:

1. What happened?

2. What were you thinking or feeling at the time?

3. What can we do to make this better?

4. What would you do differently next time?
   
   

These discussions involve both the pupil who displayed the behaviour and the person who may have been affected. The aim is to help both parties:

• Understand one another’s perspective

• Take responsibility for their actions

• Repair any harm caused

• Restore relationships and move forward positively
  
  

If a pupil is not ready to engage in the conversation, they are given time to reflect and self-regulate before the chat takes place.

Benefits of Restorative Practice

Restorative Practice has many positive impacts across our school community:

• Improved Behaviour – Children learn to reflect on their actions and take ownership of their behaviour.

• Stronger Relationships – Restorative chats build trust, empathy and better communication between pupils and staff.

• Conflict Resolution – Pupils are supported to resolve disputes calmly and constructively.

• Emotional Resilience – Pupils learn how to self-regulate, build patience, and express their feelings in healthy ways.

• Inclusive Culture – Everyone’s voice is heard and respected, helping to create a sense of belonging and fairness.

Recording and Reflection

For more serious incidents, a Restorative Practice Record is completed. This is a written log of the conversation and agreed outcomes. Records are securely stored and used to:

• Track patterns of behaviour

• Support pupils with targeted interventions

• Inform parents/carers if needed

• Share key information with the Senior Leadership Team

Consequences may still be applied following a restorative chat, but always with the aim of being proportionate, fair, and part of the learning and reflection process.

Staff Training and Whole-School Approach

All staff at Ysgol Y Bryn have received Inset training in Restorative Practice, enabling a consistent and respectful approach throughout the school. It forms a core part of our behaviour policy and is closely aligned with our values of kindness, safety and respect.

By embedding restorative approaches into everyday school life, we are helping children to:

• Become thoughtful, respectful citizens

• Learn how to deal with conflict in a healthy way

• Contribute to a calm, positive school culture where everyone can thrive
  
  

To find out more about how we use Restorative Practice, or to see a copy of our Positive Behaviour Policy, please contact the school office.