Restorative Approaches at Wittersham

At Wittersham Church of England Primary School, our values of compassion, courage and cooperation guide how we care for one another and how we support children to grow emotionally, socially and spiritually.

As part of our commitment to nurturing strong relationships and promoting emotional wellbeing, we are embedding Restorative Approaches across the whole school.

Restorative practice is not a behaviour system or a set of consequences. It is a way of helping children understand:

• how their actions affect others
• how to take responsibility
• how to repair relationships when things go wrong
• how to communicate calmly and respectfully

Our aim is to create a calm, respectful environment where every child feels listened to, understood and supported.

Community Circles

Our restorative journey began in April 2025 with the introduction of community circles across the school.

Community circles are short, structured sessions where children sit together in a circle and take turns responding to a shared prompt or question. These sessions help to:

• build trust within class groups
• develop listening skills
• give every child a voice
• encourage reflection on feelings and experiences
• strengthen connection and communication

Community circles are now a regular part of school life and play an important role in building a strong sense of belonging.

When things go wrong

When conflict or issues arise, staff use five key restorative questions to guide conversations with children.

These questions help children to slow down, reflect honestly, understand impact and take responsibility for finding a resolution.

The five restorative questions

1. What happened?
2. What were you thinking and feeling at the time?
3. What have you thought about since?
4. What has been the impact on you and on others?
5. What needs to happen to make things right?

All staff carry these questions on their lanyards so that we use a consistent approach across the school.

What this helps children develop

Through restorative conversations, children learn to:

• develop empathy
• regulate their emotions
• communicate calmly
• resolve conflict constructively
• understand the impact of their behaviour on others

This approach supports children not only in school but also in developing important life skills.

Working together with families

You may find these five questions helpful to use at home when talking through disagreements or incidents with your child. Using the same language at home and at school helps children feel supported and confident in how they resolve difficulties.

Our ongoing commitment

All staff have received training in restorative practice and we continue to develop our approach throughout the year. Restorative conversations are now part of daily school life and are used in:

• whole class discussions
• small group work
• individual conversations when needed

This shared, whole-school approach strengthens relationships and supports a positive learning environment for all.

If you would like to know more about restorative approaches at Wittersham, please contact the school office.