Fairholme College in Toowoomba has been using restorative practices for 15 years. It's used to build strong and respectful relationships within the school.
This is the first in a series of case studies being produced by restorative justice researcher Dr Kristin Reimer at Monash Education.
The idea is to foster a national network of leaders who use these practices.
Restorative practices I think are a philosophical view of the world. It has to be the way that you teach in a classroom it's got to be evident in the way that you work with a student who is struggling, it's got to be in a way in which you resolve conflict.
The key ideas for circle time is to build empathy recognition and ownership of feeling, building a toolbox in our memory of how we can solve any conflict.
Every girl is a leader in year 12.
One time we had a bit of a problem with the grades that they would just be carrying(?) and there was fighting with each other a little bit and we just made ourselves quite like vulnerable to them so they felt like they were on the same level as us.
Restorative ... it is about accountability and moving forward in a positive way and it's about reconciliation and repair.