Sessions draw on relational and restorative approaches recommended in the Education Endowment Foundation's Improving Behaviour in Schools guidance, which finds that strong pupil-staff relationships and consistent, personalised responses do more to shift defiant behaviour than blanket sanctions. This is consistent with the DfE's Behaviour in Schools advice, which asks schools to build a culture of high expectations through relationships and clear routines rather than rules imposed without explanation, and supports the standard expected under Ofsted's attendance and behaviour evaluation area.
Objective: Pupil can describe a personal view of school rules and identify which feel fairest and least fair.
Check-in: 1. Start with something outside school — what they did at the weekend, what they are into. 2. Ask: 'how has your week been, one to five?' 3. Keep this short and light. Rapport now makes the rule conversation possible later. 4. Say what happens to what they tell you: you keep notes, and the plan at the end goes to staff they agree to. If something worries you about their safety you have to pass it on, and you would tell them who to.
Input: 1. Ask 'what are rules actually for?' before offering any answer. 2. Take whatever they say seriously, including 'to control us'. 3. Offer the alternative: most rules exist to keep people safe or to keep things fair. 4. Ask questions rather than lecture — a pupil who feels argued at stops talking.
Activity: 1. Get out the rule card set and lay it out. Ask: 'which of these make sense to you, and which feel unfair?' 2. Pupil sorts them into two piles. 3. Take two or three from each pile and ask: 'why did that one go there?' 4. Do not argue with the unfair pile — the point is hearing their reasoning.
Reflect: 1. Ask: 'which of those causes you the most trouble day to day?' 2. Pupil picks one moment this week to notice when following it felt hard, and marks it on the notice-and-note tracking card.
Watch for: If the pupil is very guarded, keep this session light, the goal is rapport, not a full audit of the pupil's view of authority.
Parent/carer take-home: Pick one household rule together and ask what makes it feel fair or unfair. Listening without arguing back matters more than reaching the 'right' answer.
You're seeing week 1 in full. The remaining 5 sessions, along with the printable resource packs, are available once you have an account.
Schools can start a free three-week pilot with up to 3 mentor seats and 10 pupils. No card required.