Strengthening Relationships Through Restorative Practices

We are delighted to be working with Real Schools to provide professional learning for all staff in restorative practices. This partnership supports our commitment to classrooms where students feel connected, engaged and accountable, and where relationships are at the heart of learning.

As part of this work, we recently welcomed Kirsty Lush from Real Schools to the College as an expert facilitator. Kirsty's career spans almost twenty years across teaching, coaching, school leadership and university tutoring, including seven years as a principal. She brings extensive experience in transforming school culture and embedding restorative practices within school communities.

Kirsty's approach was to lead by example. She spent the day teaching in classrooms with our students and showed restorative strategies in action while colleagues observed. After each lesson, she talked the strategies through with the observing teachers, explaining the choices she made, how students responded and how the approaches could fit our own classrooms. It was a valuable chance for staff to see restorative teaching in a real lesson with our own students, rather than in theory.

In the afternoon, Kirsty led all staff through a reflective staff meeting. Together we considered what we had seen during the day, how restorative practices can strengthen relationships and accountability, and the next steps for embedding these approaches across the College. [Optional: add one specific takeaway or strategy staff will focus on.]

We thank Kirsty for her generosity, expertise and the warmth with which she worked with our students and staff. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Real Schools as we build a shared, consistent approach to student wellbeing, positive relationships and accountability across the College.