Restorative Practice in our School 

At Scoil Phobail Bhéara we are proud to be recognised as an Ever-Green Restorative Practice (RP) school. Restorative Practice is an approach that helps us build and maintain strong, positive relationships across our school community. It is about listening, understanding, and working together to solve problems in a respectful way.
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What is Restorative Practice?

Restorative Practice is based on the idea that relationships are at the heart of learning and wellbeing. It focuses on:
  • Building trust and respect between students, staff, and parents.
  • Encouraging students to take responsibility for their actions.
  • Supporting young people to repair relationships when harm has been caused.
  • Creating a safe, inclusive school culture where everyone feels they belong.

Our RP Journey
We introduced Restorative Practice in 2020 and are now in our fifth year of development. Over this time, we have:
  • Trained staff and students to use restorative language and approaches.
  • Introduced peer mediation and restorative circles in classrooms.
  • Replaced traditional detentions with Restorative Support Sessions.
  • Built RP into everyday school life — from staff meetings to student check-ins.
  • Engaged parents through workshops, information sessions, and parent ambassadors.
  • Organised creative initiatives such as our Valentine’s Day positive affirmation cards, where proceeds went to charity, helping to promote kindness and community spirit.​

Why it Matters
Restorative Practice makes a real difference in our school by:
  • Helping students feel listened to and respected.
  • Strengthening relationships between staff and students.
  • Reducing repeated conflicts and improving behaviour.
  • Supporting student voice, leadership, and responsibility.
  • Fostering a more positive, caring, and inclusive environment for learning.

Looking Ahead
As an Ever-Green​ RP school, our goal is to continue deepening and sustaining this culture. We will keep developing peer mediation, expanding restorative approaches in the curriculum, and celebrating student voice.
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Restorative Practice isn’t just a programme in our school — it’s how we do things every day.