The Importance of Repairing Relationships

Schools, whether big or small, are complicated places. Most workplaces do not have the high numbers of the same people interacting on a daily or weekly basis that schools have. Because of this ever-changing and evolving human dynamic, schools are great places to be, but they are not without their challenges.

If one working relationship in the classroom or playground breaks down, it can suddenly impact on large numbers of people very quickly. If behaviour takes a downturn, or if someone is having a bad day, then very soon the ramifications can be felt across an entire cohort of young people. Throw in travel disruption, changes to the school day and hundreds of different personal situations, and it becomes no wonder that the balance of harmony can easily be unsettled in any school.

Clear expectations and positive relationships often help to guide pupils to make good choices, and make the most of each school day. Mistakes however, do occur.

People get things wrong. FACT. Young people are no different, and from time-to-time they can fall out, misbehave, be difficult, or cause issues. When such problems occur, sanctions usually follow. Just like in adult life, actions have consequences.

When a sanction is given, whether minor or serious, and once it is served, there must be an opportunity to rebuild and repair the relationship. Sometimes this is between two friends who have fallen out, and sometimes it is between a pupil and the staff who have had to deal with the issue. Occasionally it is the relationship between a pupil and their schoolwork which has broken.

Giving young people the chance to do something positive, make a valuable contribution, receive deserved praise, or simply engage in a polite conversation are just some of the ways we can start to rebuild the trust and respect that can often be lost when things go wrong. In the first two weeks with the federation, I have seen these repairs being carried out with great care and understanding. I have also seen these efforts be received with gratitude as relationships are rebuilt.

Sometimes things can be repaired quickly, sometimes ‘time’ is key. Regardless of the issue, or the effort it takes, we must help our young people to repair the damage, and take the lead in doing so. It won’t always work, and that can be frustrating, but the opportunity to rebuild things has to be there.

As we move towards half term the leadership team will be focusing on how we can keep the delicate balance of the school day on an even keel, and what we will do to both prevent and sanction issues when they occur. When the balance is unsettled, and once the issues have been dealt with, we will endeavor to help restore, repair and rebuild the relationships that have been damaged in the process.

On Wednesday 7^th February we would like to invite all parents from SKS to a meeting where we will outline the changes we are going to make to our policies and procedures regarding behavior, uniform and learning. Specific details will follow about this meeting via Parentmail.