Secondary Management: Restorative Justice in Action 1
0001 01:00:00:00 01:00:04:01
(radio) Urgently needed, over
to science for Mr Scott, please.
0002 01:00:04:01 01:00:05:16
(narrator) At Drayton School
0003 01:00:05:16 01:00:10:13
there's been a serious incident
in a year 9 science class.
0004 01:00:11:13 01:00:13:23
Harriet Wall,
head of learning support,
0005 01:00:13:23 01:00:15:12
is about to put into practice
0006 01:00:15:12 01:00:18:10
the school's distinctive
behaviour management system.
0007 01:00:18:10 01:00:21:03
- Is it for you?
- Yeah.
0008 01:00:21:03 01:00:24:04
- What's happened?
- I got accused of spitting.
0009 01:00:24:04 01:00:26:00
All right. OK.
0010 01:00:26:00 01:00:29:05
So tell me exactly what's happened.
0011 01:00:31:00 01:00:36:17
There's spit on the table.
And it's about a metre away from me.
0012 01:00:36:17 01:00:39:20
And just because I got
Matthew's book and wiped it off,
0013 01:00:39:20 01:00:42:07
he sent me out for it
and he said it was me.
0014 01:00:42:07 01:00:46:13
How does Matthew feel about using
his book to wipe spit off the table?
0015 01:00:46:13 01:00:48:23
- He finds it funny.
- Does he? Hm.
0016 01:00:48:23 01:00:51:12
OK. Let me just ask the teacher
what's happening.
0017 01:00:51:12 01:00:55:02
(narrator) Restorative justice
focuses less on instant punishment
0018 01:00:55:02 01:00:56:23
and more on encouraging children
0019 01:00:56:23 01:01:00:03
to think through
the consequences of their behaviour.
0020 01:01:00:03 01:01:02:22
How would you like me
to deal with this one, then?
0021 01:01:02:22 01:01:05:04
Basically it has to be
the front table.
0022 01:01:05:04 01:01:09:02
Two thirds of the class
were not involved.
0023 01:01:09:02 01:01:11:23
I'm not sure who is involved
on this one.
0024 01:01:11:23 01:01:13:23
(girl) Mr Scott!
0025 01:01:14:23 01:01:17:15
My suspicions are this end
and that end of the table
0026 01:01:17:15 01:01:19:21
and the middle
were caught in the crossfire.
0027 01:01:19:21 01:01:22:22
That's my suspicions,
but no one is owning up to anything.
0028 01:01:22:22 01:01:26:22
Have we got a spare room here?
I'll take out the top tables then.
0029 01:01:26:22 01:01:28:07
D8's probably spare.
0030 01:01:28:07 01:01:31:20
(narrator) Drayton came out
of special measures three years ago
0031 01:01:31:20 01:01:33:22
and last summer
every year 11 student
0032 01:01:33:22 01:01:37:09
achieved at least one
grade A-G GCSE.
0033 01:01:38:08 01:01:40:08
Restorative justice, or RJ,
0034 01:01:40:08 01:01:43:22
is a key part of the school's
strategy for improvement.
0035 01:01:43:22 01:01:46:23
It's aimed at developing
pupil's emotional literacy
0036 01:01:46:23 01:01:50:03
and creating
a better environment for learning.
0037 01:01:50:03 01:01:53:05
Guys, it's actually
really quite serious, isn't it?
0038 01:01:53:05 01:01:57:17
Whether it was done as a joke, it's
really quite an immature act to do,
0039 01:01:57:17 01:02:00:23
to spit across the room
when the teacher's not in the class.
0040 01:02:00:23 01:02:02:19
Now obviously some people here
0041 01:02:02:19 01:02:05:22
have got absolutely
nothing to do with this.
0042 01:02:05:22 01:02:09:24
So I would quite like people
to be quite honest at this point.
0043 01:02:09:24 01:02:12:15
- I did some of it.
- Thank you.
0044 01:02:13:11 01:02:16:14
- You haven't done any of it?
- (boy) "Some of it"?
0045 01:02:16:14 01:02:19:11
- Yeah.
- Thank you, Luke, for being honest.
0046 01:02:19:11 01:02:21:11
Someone was chucking it
at me as well.
0047 01:02:21:11 01:02:24:23
This is what we need
to get to the bottom of.
0048 01:02:25:22 01:02:28:03
Anybody else want to own up?
0049 01:02:28:03 01:02:30:09
- He does.
- I haven't.
0050 01:02:30:09 01:02:32:24
Thank you. Matthew?
0051 01:02:32:24 01:02:36:14
- I ain't gobbed.
- You haven't? Jade? No.
0052 01:02:36:14 01:02:38:15
- Ryan?
- Uh-uh.
0053 01:02:38:15 01:02:40:16
All right, OK.
0054 01:02:40:16 01:02:43:11
The rest of you, I'd like you
to go back into the class.
0055 01:02:43:11 01:02:47:03
I'm going to come and see
that you have settled.
0056 01:02:47:03 01:02:50:22
(narrator) RJ is based on asking
pupils a number of key questions.
0057 01:02:50:22 01:02:55:16
What happened, who was affected,
and how can things be put right?
0058 01:02:55:16 01:02:59:13
So, any idea how you've
just affected that class?
0059 01:02:59:13 01:03:03:11
- We gobbed all over it.
- OK.
0060 01:03:03:11 01:03:05:23
So who's been affected now?
0061 01:03:05:23 01:03:08:01
The classroom.
0062 01:03:08:01 01:03:10:12
Yeah. Anybody else?
0063 01:03:10:12 01:03:12:22
- (Luke) Teacher, pupils.
- Mark.
0064 01:03:12:22 01:03:16:21
OK, Mark. So what can we do now?
0065 01:03:16:21 01:03:22:00
What's the fair and the right thing
to do now to get this sorted?
0066 01:03:24:22 01:03:27:09
Because you've got choices to make.
0067 01:03:27:09 01:03:29:21
Luke, you've got serious choices
to make.
0068 01:03:29:21 01:03:32:00
You've just come back in,
haven't you?
0069 01:03:32:00 01:03:35:18
And Matthew, you need to really
start making the right choices.
0070 01:03:35:18 01:03:40:02
Because there's only so much
the school will tolerate.
0071 01:03:40:02 01:03:45:12
You have completely disrupted
the learning of that whole class.
0072 01:03:47:17 01:03:49:13
So, what I'm going to do
0073 01:03:49:13 01:03:53:03
is I'll ask Mr Scott whether
he's willing to have you back.
0074 01:03:53:03 01:03:55:19
But you need to think about
what you're going to say
0075 01:03:55:19 01:04:00:08
because that's his lesson that's
been disrupted for ten minutes.
0076 01:04:00:08 01:04:04:21
Thank you for being honest. OK?
0077 01:04:04:21 01:04:08:06
Thank you for realising the extent
0078 01:04:08:06 01:04:11:12
and how you've affected the class.
0079 01:04:13:20 01:04:15:24
Are we ready to go back in
and try and learn?
0080 01:04:15:24 01:04:17:02
Mm-hm.
0081 01:04:17:02 01:04:21:02
I think we need to ask Mr Scott,
because it's going to be on his say.
0082 01:04:21:02 01:04:25:16
He might actually decide
he doesn't want you in there.
0083 01:04:33:13 01:04:35:18
Can I have a minute?
0084 01:04:37:07 01:04:41:03
I've cancelled the practical
because I've run out of time now.
0085 01:04:41:03 01:04:44:01
They had to do some book work.
They seem to have settled.
0086 01:04:44:01 01:04:48:22
These guys want to say something to
you. They've admitted the spitting
0087 01:04:48:22 01:04:51:12
and completely disrupting
your class.
0088 01:04:51:12 01:04:53:12
They'd like to come back in
and learn.
0089 01:04:53:12 01:04:56:05
I don't know what you want to do
as a consequence.
0090 01:04:56:05 01:05:00:06
I can take them,
if you want me to take them away,
0091 01:05:00:06 01:05:02:20
or whether you want
to deal with it yourself.
0092 01:05:02:20 01:05:05:10
- I need to clean up now.
- OK.
0093 01:05:05:10 01:05:11:11
And I think actually I'm still
quite cross with what's happened.
0094 01:05:11:11 01:05:13:13
Matthew has done some work
in the lesson,
0095 01:05:13:13 01:05:17:22
but Luke did very little work
and has disrupted earlier,
0096 01:05:17:22 01:05:20:07
so I'd like Luke definitely out.
0097 01:05:20:07 01:05:23:10
Matthew, if he's willing
to carry on working, can come in.
0098 01:05:23:10 01:05:25:15
- But I'd rather Luke stayed out.
- OK.
0099 01:05:25:15 01:05:29:08
(narrator) In this case,
RJ was only partially successful.
0100 01:05:29:08 01:05:31:08
The boys accepted responsibility
0101 01:05:31:08 01:05:33:11
and seemed to recognise
who was affected.
0102 01:05:33:11 01:05:35:11
But weren't able or willing
0103 01:05:35:11 01:05:38:16
to suggest ways
of putting right their wrongdoing.
0104 01:05:38:16 01:05:44:04
I think you're going to have to make
some real choices, Luke, aren't you?
0105 01:05:45:03 01:05:48:18
(narrator) In practice,
RJ rarely produces instant results,
0106 01:05:48:18 01:05:52:16
but the staff believe that applying
it repeatedly and consistently
0107 01:05:52:16 01:05:57:09
encourages students to try to repair
the harm they may have caused.
0108 01:05:57:09 01:06:00:05
It can be a long process.
0109 01:06:00:05 01:06:02:09
Sometimes, young people
0110 01:06:02:09 01:06:05:03
don't want to talk about
what they've been involved in
0111 01:06:05:03 01:06:09:01
and they don't want to accept
the harm that they've caused.
0112 01:06:09:01 01:06:12:16
That can be quite wearing because
then you're working very hard,
0113 01:06:12:16 01:06:14:22
struggling upstream, to be honest,
0114 01:06:14:22 01:06:17:06
to get young people
to become accountable.
0115 01:06:17:06 01:06:20:12
I think you trust the teacher
who has come on response.
0116 01:06:20:12 01:06:23:13
You know they are going
to get to the bottom of the problem.
0117 01:06:23:13 01:06:27:14
And they always ask whether you
are willing to take the person back.
0118 01:06:27:14 01:06:29:14
So you have the opportunity to say:
0119 01:06:29:14 01:06:34:00
"No, I don't want that person
back in the room at this time."
0120 01:06:34:00 01:06:38:04
It gives you time
to calm yourself down as well
0121 01:06:38:04 01:06:41:20
so that you don't immediately
shout at any other pupils
0122 01:06:41:20 01:06:44:08
or carry on an argument
with the pupil.
0123 01:06:44:08 01:06:46:19
Because as soon
as voices get raised,
0124 01:06:46:19 01:06:51:11
the pupils here do react badly
to that and will shout back at you.
0125 01:06:51:11 01:06:53:12
Then the situation escalates.
0126 01:06:53:12 01:06:57:10
(narrator) Harriet is trying
to track down a year 8 pupil
0127 01:06:57:10 01:06:59:14
who's run away
from a teaching assistant
0128 01:06:59:14 01:07:01:21
after an incident
in the computer room.
0129 01:07:01:21 01:07:05:19
Ah, Daniel. Just the young man
I'm coming to see.
0130 01:07:05:19 01:07:06:23
Let me just tell you,
0131 01:07:06:23 01:07:10:10
Miss Cruikshank is actually
quite upset with your part of it,
0132 01:07:10:10 01:07:14:22
because you actually have a good
relationship with Miss Cruikshank.
0133 01:07:14:22 01:07:17:22
So what part did you play
in all this, Dan?
0134 01:07:17:22 01:07:20:20
- Just took the piece of paper.
- OK. Then what did you do?
0135 01:07:20:20 01:07:25:12
Took it outside and gave it to Paul.
Then he chucked it away.
0136 01:07:25:12 01:07:28:23
- And what had Miss asked you to do?
- Stay in the learning centre.
0137 01:07:28:23 01:07:32:21
So how do you think
your running off has affected her?
0138 01:07:32:21 01:07:34:02
I don't know.
0139 01:07:34:02 01:07:37:06
What do you think
she might be feeling?
0140 01:07:37:06 01:07:39:08
- Sad.
- OK.
0141 01:07:39:08 01:07:42:11
Are you willing to come along
and just see her now? Come on.
0142 01:07:42:11 01:07:45:23
(narrator) Where possible,
Harriet brings all parties together
0143 01:07:45:23 01:07:47:23
in a mini conference.
0144 01:07:47:23 01:07:49:23
Right then.
0145 01:07:50:23 01:07:54:08
We're here because of the incident
that happened this morning.
0146 01:07:54:08 01:07:57:19
It's not about Daniel making out
to be a good or bad person here.
0147 01:07:57:19 01:08:01:10
We need to think about what's
happened and how it affected people.
0148 01:08:01:10 01:08:05:09
Then try and come up with a way
that perhaps we can make it right.
0149 01:08:05:09 01:08:10:09
Now all I'm going to do is ask
a few questions to both of you.
0150 01:08:10:09 01:08:12:24
(narrator) The perpetrator
always speaks first.
0151 01:08:12:24 01:08:16:15
It encourages them to take full
responsibility for their actions.
0152 01:08:16:15 01:08:20:03
So I'm going to ask you first,
Daniel.
0153 01:08:20:03 01:08:22:11
What do you think's
happened this morning?
0154 01:08:22:11 01:08:25:16
Paul was printing off something,
but I didn't know what it was
0155 01:08:25:16 01:08:29:19
because I didn't get a chance
to look. And I screwed it up.
0156 01:08:29:19 01:08:34:00
- OK. Then what happened?
- I ran out of the learning centre
0157 01:08:34:00 01:08:36:21
and Miss Cruikshank said, "Stay."
0158 01:08:36:21 01:08:41:21
Then I gave it to Paul and I don't
know whether he chucked it away.
0159 01:08:41:21 01:08:45:14
- Who do you think was affected?
- Miss Cruikshank.
0160 01:08:45:14 01:08:47:19
OK, and how do you think
she was affected?
0161 01:08:47:19 01:08:51:02
By not listening to her orders.
0162 01:08:51:02 01:08:53:02
OK.
0163 01:08:54:04 01:08:56:18
Miss Cruikshank, could you
tell us what happened?
0164 01:08:56:18 01:09:00:12
Well, I was in here
working with someone else
0165 01:09:00:12 01:09:05:02
and another student came in and said
they were printing rude pictures.
0166 01:09:05:02 01:09:09:03
So I went into where they were
on the computer and as I walked in,
0167 01:09:09:03 01:09:11:21
there was something coming out
of the photocopier
0168 01:09:11:21 01:09:17:08
and Daniel took it very quickly,
screwed it up and did a runner.
0169 01:09:17:08 01:09:19:15
And how have you felt since, Miss?
0170 01:09:19:15 01:09:22:05
Cross.
0171 01:09:22:05 01:09:24:21
Upset. Disappointed.
0172 01:09:24:21 01:09:26:21
Annoyed.
0173 01:09:27:24 01:09:32:00
- Disappointed more than anything.
- OK.
0174 01:09:32:00 01:09:35:10
Daniel, you've heard
what Miss has said about it all.
0175 01:09:35:10 01:09:38:10
Is there anything you want to do now
to make that right?
0176 01:09:38:10 01:09:41:23
Sorry, Miss,
for not following orders,
0177 01:09:41:23 01:09:44:04
not staying in the learning centre.
0178 01:09:44:04 01:09:46:23
- (Harriet) OK.
- It's fine.
0179 01:09:46:23 01:09:49:11
Is there anything you want to say?
0180 01:09:49:11 01:09:52:22
I'm just sorry it happened, really.
0181 01:09:52:22 01:09:54:22
And I know Daniel,
0182 01:09:54:22 01:09:58:13
and that was all I wanted him to do,
just stay in the learning centre
0183 01:09:58:13 01:10:03:17
not to run off and disturb
other lessons, perhaps.
0184 01:10:03:17 01:10:05:17
Right.
0185 01:10:05:17 01:10:08:21
Is there anything you'd like
to come out of this meeting?
0186 01:10:08:21 01:10:13:00
Well, I'm really quite pleased that
Daniel's decided he would do this
0187 01:10:13:00 01:10:16:13
and hopefully we can start off
on a positive foot again.
0188 01:10:16:13 01:10:19:06
OK, Daniel? Just to wrap up then,
0189 01:10:19:06 01:10:23:04
Daniel's apologised
and Miss has accepted your apology.
0190 01:10:23:04 01:10:26:08
Is there anything
you might do differently in future?
0191 01:10:26:08 01:10:29:22
Yeah, listen to the orders
that the teacher tells you.
0192 01:10:29:22 01:10:32:12
- "Orders".
- Well, thank you, guys.
0193 01:10:32:12 01:10:35:02
(Harriet) That there,
0194 01:10:35:02 01:10:39:11
that was a mini conference
that took a maximum of five minutes.
0195 01:10:39:11 01:10:42:05
Sometimes you think
that process hasn't worked,
0196 01:10:42:05 01:10:44:05
they don't show any type of remorse.
0197 01:10:44:05 01:10:49:13
But the more you do it...
It's like a small drip-feed.
0198 01:10:49:13 01:10:53:01
Daniel has been through
that process before.
0199 01:10:53:01 01:10:56:13
It's quite important for him
that he realises
0200 01:10:56:13 01:10:59:06
choices of behaviour,
how much they affect people.
0201 01:10:59:06 01:11:02:01
And before that type
of having an RJ conference,
0202 01:11:02:01 01:11:05:13
that would have gone on all day long
and it would've been a type of...
0203 01:11:05:13 01:11:08:19
Miss was really, really angry at him
and disappointed in him,
0204 01:11:08:19 01:11:11:16
but that allowed her
to get that off her chest,
0205 01:11:11:16 01:11:15:19
and Daniel to realise what it was he
had done that had upset her so much,
0206 01:11:15:19 01:11:18:00
and then have
the opportunity to say sorry.
0207 01:11:18:00 01:11:21:17
(narrator) Harriet is prepared to
persist with restorative techniques
0208 01:11:21:17 01:11:26:00
despite the sometimes slow progress,
and the concerns of some critics
0209 01:11:26:00 01:11:28:23
that children may be
getting off lightly.
0210 01:11:28:23 01:11:32:04
People say it's a pink and fluffy
option, but it isn't.
0211 01:11:32:04 01:11:34:14
What you're actually
asking a child to do,
0212 01:11:34:14 01:11:37:14
is take into account what
they've done and be responsible.
0213 01:11:37:14 01:11:40:19
(narrator) Major incidents
are dealt with in a full conference
0214 01:11:40:19 01:11:44:09
to which a number of parties
are invited, including parents.
0215 01:11:44:09 01:11:46:06
One of Harriet's first conferences
0216 01:11:46:06 01:11:48:17
involved a group of girls
in a bullying incident
0217 01:11:48:17 01:11:50:21
who are now the best of friends.
0218 01:11:50:21 01:11:56:20
It kind of changes people. In
year 7, year 8, I was really loud,
0219 01:11:56:20 01:12:00:12
really in people's faces. If I
didn't like somebody, I'd tell them
0220 01:12:00:12 01:12:03:24
and I'd be quite rude
and really loud.
0221 01:12:03:24 01:12:07:18
But after doing the restorative
justice, it sort of matures people.
0222 01:12:07:18 01:12:10:13
- People start to think.
- Makes you think more grown up.
0223 01:12:10:13 01:12:13:10
You think about
the consequences of what you say,
0224 01:12:13:10 01:12:16:12
what you do,
and how it can affect other people.
0225 01:12:16:12 01:12:23:06
Instead of you feeling a little bit
guilty, you feel intensely guilty.
0226 01:12:25:14 01:12:27:14
I think it's because of the circle.
0227 01:12:27:14 01:12:31:03
You're in a circle
and you can look at everybody,
0228 01:12:31:03 01:12:34:09
you can see everybody,
you can see how they're feeling.
0229 01:12:34:09 01:12:38:02
It's like as if you're in
a really small, compact circle.
0230 01:12:38:02 01:12:40:07
You don't take notice around you.
0231 01:12:40:07 01:12:43:20
Everything around doesn't matter.
It's all about this circle
0232 01:12:43:20 01:12:47:03
and what's happening and the
emotions being thrown at each other.
0233 01:12:47:03 01:12:52:05
RJ works because you're sharing one
language, the language of emotions.
0234 01:12:52:05 01:12:57:03
You're asking young people
to tell you what's happened.
0235 01:12:57:03 01:13:01:19
They're having a chance to actually
speak to you and give their account.
0236 01:13:01:19 01:13:05:01
I feel that classrooms
are more positive now,
0237 01:13:05:01 01:13:06:22
in the rooms that I teach.
0238 01:13:06:22 01:13:08:23
Because they feel that I do listen,
0239 01:13:08:23 01:13:13:23
because in the style of questioning,
you're asking them about themselves.
0240 01:13:13:23 01:13:17:08
(narrator) Restorative justice
places heavy demands on staff,
0241 01:13:17:08 01:13:20:10
but the long-term rewards