4. Core Pastoral Support Services

4.1 The school has a well-developed system of pupil support with the promoted posts for the various 'branches' of the support team co ordinated by a Depute Head Teacher. The school introduced Houses to enhance the established vertical system. Each house is named after a Scottish Saint and led by a Principal Teacher of Pupil Support. An extended tutor team involves almost every teacher in the school, including the Senior Management Team. Each tutor has responsibility for about twelve to fourteen pupils throughout their school career, offering one-to-one contact and support at key times in the academic year. This obviously involves target setting and reporting but is also of great benefit to pupils who may experience difficulties from time to time. Restorative practices integrate well with this system (further details below) which ensures that pupils and families are really known to school staff.

4.2 The Principal Teachers of Pupil Support have an overview of pupils' progress, monitoring attainment and setting targets. More volatile or vulnerable children tend to be the direct responsibility of Principal Teachers.

4.3 In parallel with the House system is the Support for Learning department, managed by a Principal Teacher of Learning Support. This Principal Teacher is supported by one full-time equivalent member of staff and together they co-ordinate the meeting of learning support needs of all pupils within the school. This department is also supported by community network staff who offer a programme of time-tabled support to various pupils across the curriculum. Support for Learning provides a variety of systems to help children with a Record of Needs and those who are 'Looked After and Accommodated'. The department ensures that these pupils have Individual Education Plans throughout their educational experience. Individual Education Plans are also prepared and supported by the department for other pupils who would also benefit.

4.4 The pupil support system in the school is linked to a multi-agency team, the Joint Support Team, which has been functioning for six years. It meets weekly, is coordinated and chaired by the DHT and is attended by the Educational Psychologist, a social worker from North Lanarkshire's Young People's Support Unit, a social worker from the Early Intervention Team, the school's Home School Partnership Officer, the Principal Teacher of Support for Learning and the Principal Teacher of Pupil Support. The Principal Teacher of Pupil Support has the role of presenting the case/s referred to the meeting. Where necessary, the careers officer, the attendance officer and the school nurse may also attend

5. Restorative Practices in action: Pupil involvement

5.1 As already mentioned, the school has always adopted a style of restorative action to remedy situations where conflict occurs. The Pupil Support staff organise meetings between the two groups of pupils or individuals to try and allow each party to express to the other how the trouble has affected them. Although it is difficult to quantify exactly how many incidents have occurred and been resolved in a restorative way, it is estimated that at least five cases per week are dealt with by staff. Sometimes the incident may appear trivial but when a child explains how the incident has affected them it is clear to see that they do not perceive that to be the case. Parents have always been informed of these strategies and are very involved in their outcomes.

5.2 The Senior Management Team and Principal Teacher of Pupil Support have taken individual pupil work on to another level by seeking to involve parents in discussions. The aim of such sessions is that the parents' presence and participation in conferences will help ensure a longer lasting solution to the problems and also help restore self-esteem as fully as possible for all parties concerned. On occasion the group has managed to explore and examine situations which go outwith the school parameters. Parents are keen to engage in such sessions. They recognise the need for support in their role as carers when problems arise which spread over from the community into the school and vice versa.

5.3 A typical incident would be resolved in a very set process. Initially, Pupil Support Principal Teachers respond to a concern that might be raised by any member of the school community. In reality, the vast majority are pupil referrals about other pupils who have caused some level of upset or injury. After an initial investigative interview with each of the parties concerned, the Principal Teacher informs the parents of concerns and proposed next steps. The next step would be taken only with the full consent of all the parties involved, including parents or guardians, as it entails the pupils coming together in a conferencing situation to attempt to resolve the dispute. As a matter of course, these group sessions take the format of a circle with all members respecting the rules and regulations laid down. For example, the choice to speak first is agreed, no interruptions or outbursts are allowed and there is an appreciated period of reflection before the session ends.

6. Evaluation of Restorative Practices

6.1 The school hopes that the impact of Restorative Practices will be clear through a scan of the school statistics with numbers of incidents and exclusions going down. More qualitative assessment of attitudes, relationships, etc will also be important. The Discipline for Learning database will be monitored in the hope that there will be increasing numbers of positive and reduced numbers of negative entries.

6.2 As a pilot school for Restorative Practices, an external evaluation of our progress will be carried out by researchers from Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities on behalf of the Scottish Executive. In Restorative Practices all involved parties are given the opportunity to evaluate how they felt the process had helped them overcome their difficulties. Very heartening pupil comments on the use of a restorative circle (see Picture C) are given below:

How did you feel when you were asked to join the circle?

I thought we were in trouble.
I felt good that we were going to talk about everything.
I felt ok because everyone was discussing their thoughts.
OK but nervous because I didn't know what it was about.

How did you feel when you were telling your side of the story?

We were all just talking to her and we weren't really telling stories.
I felt sad to hear about what happened.
I felt relaxed.
I felt that getting my side of the story across was good.
I felt fine because I knew I would get a chance to tell the person how I felt.

In what ways do you think that the circle helped to solve the problem?

It helped because we now know the truth.
It told us the right side of what happened.
Because the person got to tell their feelings.
The argument was solved.
We knew the truth instead of the rumours.

7. School concerns and the way forward

7.1 Restorative Practices will be addressed in the school development plan under the Priority Area of Support for Pupils. This Priority will permeate each department's responsibility for pupil development.

7.2 As a school it is necessary to forward plan and ensure the involvement of all staff in the long-term implementation of Restorative Practices. While many staff could see the sense of the approach when it was highlighted at a recent in-service day, there is also a view that it will take time away from teaching - something teachers wish to avoid. However, staff appreciate the need to review and update teaching methodologies with a restorative approach in mind. Some staff are still not fully convinced that conflict or discipline issues resolved using a restorative approach will prove to be more effective for both pupils and staff.

7.3 Staff will be invited, in the new term, to participate in the twilight sessions already described earlier. The hope is that this will enable staff to plan and develop a wider range of behaviour management strategies with confidence. The programme will be voluntary, but the aim is to encourage as full participation as possible. The staff development co ordinator hopes that, as more staff become involved and see success in using the techniques, they will encourage others to 'come on board'. Many staff have already expressed a keen interest in finding out more about Restorative Practices. Staff have been kept aware of this initiative and also of the school's aim to enhance our existing Discipline for Learning system with these new techniques. A restorative approach does not compromise our existing systems but rather builds on them. It is hoped that in the future the restorative approach will result in classroom issues being resolved in a more acceptable and long term way for pupils and staff.

7.4 The proposed strategy for implementing Restorative Practices for pupils includes preparation of a programme to further develop skills learned in primary school through programmes such as Circle Time. These programmes have laid a foundation in basic respect and communication skills. Our Lady's High School believes that it is imperative that these skills should be further developed and enhanced by our own Personal, Social and Health Education Programme (PSHE). Responsible staff have already begun planning using the knowledge and expertise from recent in-service provision on Circle Time, Restorative Practices and Behaviour Management. We hope that the provision of a well balanced PSHE curriculum for our young people will enable them to understand the principles of a restorative approach and equip them with the language and skills to solve issues across all departments in our school, developing further the mutual respect between staff and pupils.

7.5 It is still early days in our school's participation in the Authority's and the national initiative. Doubtless we have many things still to learn but, because of our past commitment to the underlying belief system, we feel hopeful that we can learn. We want to provide all our pupils, including those who may be troubled, with a positive and peaceful way of moving on in school and in their lives after school.