Organisation Restorative Stories
About this Profile
Profile source: An interview on behalf of the NED Foundation.
- Student Guidance Office
About the Organisation
Restorative Practice is embedded into the culture and ethos of Heatley Secondary College.
Restorative principles determine how teachers connect with students, are responsive to low level behaviours, and how significant harm is addressed.
Restorative Meetings is the preferred way in which harm is explored and relationships are restored. If suspensions are required, Restorative Meetings are part of the Re-entry process in order to promote accountability and to maintain healthy relationships within the school community.
It is part of the school's code of conduct.
The school collaboratively works with the Youth Justice System, and other agencies, to ensure the best outcome for young people.
More than four years ago it was recognised that the traditional punitive system of discipline was not working, and that learning opportunities to equip students to become conflict competent were being missed.
In order to cater for the diversity and complexity of the school population, it was necessary to develop a new way of operating and addressing harm and promote well-being and connectedness.
Overtime, key people have enabled the roll-out of Restorative Practice in the school. Initially, Middle leaders and staff within student support services, received formal RP training. The opportunities to learn both formally and informally now occur throughout the school year. This has now led to the implementation of RP into the school's policy development.
Three teachers are graduates of Marg Thorsborne's Train the Trainer program, and form part of the North Queensland Restorative Practice Team.
A further 20 teachers have undertaken formal Restorative Practice training. Training for teachers at Heatley is ongoing with a minimum of two workshops conducted each year.
Junior students, Year 7 to 9, are also trained in the philosophy of Restorative Practice, its language, and the different way harm is responded to including Restorative Chats and Restorative Meetings.
- Government School
- Referrals from the justice system
- School
- Advocacy
- ATSI health and well being
- Counselling
- Facilitation
- Policy development
- Program development
- Reflective practice
- Restorative Circles
- Restorative Conferencing
- Restorative Practice meetings
- Schools 7-12
- Training