Restorative conference (teacher + student + affected peer)
Aim (what it achieves)
Repair harm, reduce retaliation, and prevent recurring peer conflict from spilling back into lessons.
When to use
After peer conflict that disrupted learning or is likely to reappear; when both parties can be calm and supervised.
How to use (steps)
Teacher language (examples)
“We’re here to fix this so learning can happen. One at a time: what happened? Who was affected? What do you need to put it right?”
Top tips (makes it work)
Use a neutral facilitator stance; keep it structured; choose practical repairs; revisit briefly next lesson/week.
Common pitfalls
Running it while emotions are hot; letting it become cross-examination; forcing reconciliation beyond safety.
SEND/PP considerations
SEND/PP students may struggle with perspective-taking; use prompts and sentence stems; keep it short and concrete; ensure safeguarding considerations.
Useful for these SEND needs
Relevant SEND Needs
Why this strategy helps
- Restores trust and readiness after incidents.
- Reduces cognitive load and supports completion.
- Supports regulation and relational safety.
Universal SEND-friendly: Yes
SEND-targeted: Yes
Tags
Sources
- Restorative approaches (general)
- practice-based
Used in
Common Behaviour Issues (Behaviour Hub)
- Repair & Rebuild Peer friction / bickering / low-level conflict
Related strategies
Restorative micro-conversation (3 questions)
Repair harm and restore learning relationships quickly.
Restitution menu (practical repair options)
Make repair concrete so restoration isn’t just ‘say sorry’.
Two-minute re-entry plan (after removal / buddy room)
Re-establish a calm working relationship and a clear first step so the student can rejoin learning without a ‘fresh conflict’.
Close the loop (end the episode cleanly)
Prevent grudges and ‘carry-over’ by explicitly signalling that the incident is finished and the relationship is intact.
Repair the public narrative (private praise after public correction)
Protect dignity and relationship by ensuring the student experiences positive attention soon after being corrected.
Re-entry ‘fresh start’ greeting (reset the relationship)
Signal belonging and reduce ‘pre-loading’ conflict by greeting positively after an incident.