Restorative Schools Working Group

The Restorative Schools Working Group focuses on relational and restorative schools, an approach that places relationships, community, and belonging at the heart of education. Rather than viewing restorative work primarily as a response to harm, relational and restorative schools prioritise proactive relationship-building, inclusion, voice, and shared responsibility as the foundation for learning and wellbeing. Restorative practices in schools support students, staff, and families to build, maintain, and repair relationships, creating safe, equitable, and connected learning environments that promote both academic and social development.

The mission of the Restorative Schools Working Group is to promote, develop, and strengthen relational and restorative approaches in schools across Europe and internationally. The group seeks to increase understanding, visibility, and practical application of restorative practices in education, while supporting schools to move beyond punitive and exclusionary models toward cultures grounded in relationships, equity, and participation.

The Working Group brings together educators, trainers, researchers, and practitioners with extensive experience in school leadership, teaching, child protection, mediation, and restorative practice. Members include former and current school principals, teachers, university academics, consultants, and trainers working across Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, the United States, and international school contexts. This diversity of roles and settings ensures that the group’s work is informed by both research and lived practice.

Through collaboration, dialogue, and shared learning, the group develops resources, contributes to EFRJ publications, and creates learning opportunities that support schools at different stages of implementation. A central aim of the group is to bridge theory and practice, offering schools realistic, context-sensitive pathways toward relational and restorative school environments where all members feel heard, valued, and supported.

In the school context, the Working Group uses the term relational and restorative practices rather than restorative justice alone. This reflects the understanding that schools are developmental environments where prevention and relationship-building must come before responses to harm. While restorative justice often focuses on addressing harm after it occurs, restorative practices in schools emphasise the intentional creation of strong relationships, emotional and social literacy, and inclusive community structures as the foundation for addressing conflict effectively.

A relational and restorative school embeds restorative values into everyday interactions, teaching, leadership, and policy. Inclusive-building practices—such as circles, shared agreements, and inclusive dialogue—are ongoing and central to school life. When harm occurs, restorative practices support accountability, repair, and learning while maintaining dignity and belonging for all involved.

This proactive, whole-school focus distinguishes restorative practices in education from other restorative justice contexts and is essential for sustainable cultural change in schools.

You can download the new Guiding Principles to Foster a Relational and Restorative School Environment from the links below. 

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen your practice, this webinar will offer clarity, inspiration, and tools you can use right away.

The Restorative Schools Working Group was established in 2020 in response to growing interest in restorative approaches within educational settings across Europe. From its inception, the group recognised that schools require a distinct and proactive approach to restorative work—one that prioritises relationship-building and community as the foundation for addressing harm.

Over time, the Working Group developed into an international community of educators, trainers, researchers, and practitioners working in diverse contexts, including public schools, international schools, higher education, and child protection. Members brought experience as principals, teachers, academics, mediators, and consultants, contributing a rich range of perspectives to the group’s work.

A significant milestone in the Working Group’s history is the publication Guiding Principles to Foster a Relational and Restorative School Environment, which reflects shared learning and provides guidance for schools seeking to implement restorative practices in meaningful and sustainable ways. The group has also contributed to webinars, international dialogue, and EFRJ publications, strengthening the connection between research, policy, and practice.

Throughout its development, the Working Group has remained committed to collaboration, peer support, and meaningful contribution, continuing to evolve as a space for learning, leadership, and shared purpose.