Relationship Management Policy
At Discovery College, the quality of relationships across our school community is vital to our overall success. We promote and value open, honest and respectful relationships between students, staff (teaching and non-teaching) and parents, with the wellbeing of all parties at their core.
Everyone has a role to play in promoting positive behaviour. In particular, all staff (teachers, educational assistants and support staff) have the right and responsibility to question students about behaviour that is inappropriate, and intervene when necessary.
Building Positive Relationships
Discovery College employs a strengths-based, skills-focussed approach to the building of positive relationships. We seek to enable students to interact positively with others, treat others with respect, and cultivate appropriate relationships. We aim to equip students with strategies to resolve disagreements or conflicts when they arise, either by themselves, or by seeking help when necessary.
Restorative Practices
When an incident occurs such that harm is caused to another person, or group of people, we try to repair the harm caused through the use of Restorative Practices. For this to be effective, all parties must
acknowledge their role in the incident.
take responsibility for their actions.
seek to understand the impact of their actions.
take action to repair the harm caused (when possible).
learn from the incident and try to ensure that it does not happen again.
A restorative conversation uses the following guiding questions.
To the wrongdoer
We’re here to talk about…
What happened?
What were you thinking at the time?
What have you thought about since?
Who do you think has been affected by what you did?
In what way?
What do you need to do to make things right?
How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again?
What can I do to help you?
To the victim
What did you think when it happened?
What have you thought about since?
How has it affected you?
What’s been the worst of it?
What’s needed to make things right?
How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again?
When stuck
Was it the right or wrong thing to do?
Was it fair or unfair?
What exactly are you sorry for?
You didn’t answer my question.
Following the conversation, all parties agree to the actions that must be taken, and an agreement is made. This agreement may be verbal, or, in more serious cases, written down and signed by all parties.
Who facilitates the restorative conversation depends on the nature of the incident and its level of seriousness. It also depends on the extent to which the behaviour is repeated, or is part of a wider pattern of behaviour. The different levels of intervention are described in the Relationship Management Pyramid. The Student Incident Flowcharts for Primary and Secondary outline how incidents are dealt with.
Consequences
In addition to restorative conversations, other consequences may follow. These consequences include, but are not limited to:
Verbal warnings
Parents being informed
Verbal and/or written apologies
Meetings with parents
Meetings with staff members
Support from counsellors or social workers
Writing of reflection sheets
Referral to external agencies
Loss of privilegesInternal suspension
Exclusion from participation in events
External suspension
Being sent home early
Exclusion
At the highest level of seriousness, a student review is led by the Principal. This may involve a discussion of whether or not the wrongdoer can remain enrolled at Discovery College. This review will be conducted with reference to the ESF Suspension and Exclusion Policy.
Bullying
“Bullying is the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or online” (Anti-bullying Alliance, 2023).
Bullying is different to isolated incidents of one person or group being mean on purpose to another person or group, because it is repeated behaviour that involves an imbalance of power.
Bullying is not tolerated at Discovery College. When bullying occurs, we use the same Restorative Practices described above in Section 3. This is appropriate, because we are seeking the same outcomes as for other behaviour.
Conclusion
Positive relationships are highly valued at Discovery College. Through the curriculum and in the way that we interact with each other, we build relationships based on mutual respect. When harm is caused in a relationship, we use the guiding principles of Restorative Practices to repair the harm and re-build relationships. Together, we work towards the creation of a safe, caring and respectful community that enables everyone to flourish and be the best they can be.