The Venture PACE approach

Here at Venture Academy we have adopted the PACE approach into our school life.

What is PACE?

PACE was developed by Dr Dan Hughes and was created with the aim of supporting adults to build safe, trusting and meaningful relationships with children and young people who have experienced trauma. The approach focuses on building trusting relationships, emotional connections, containment of emotions and a sense of security.

PACE helps us as adults to slow down our reactions, stay calm and tune into what the child is experiencing in the moment. It supports us to gain a better understanding of what the child is feeling. In times of crisis it allows us to stay emotionally regulated and guide the child through their heightened emotions, thoughts and behaviours.

The Restorative Approach

Restorative practice is a way of working with conflict that puts the focus on repairing the harm that has been done. It is an approach to conflict resolution that includes all of the parties involved. 

A restorative organisation allows time to listen to the voice of individuals, staff and families. It wants to hear people’s stories, help them clarify their issues and needs, and empower them to find their own solutions to what is concerning them.

Restorative Practice should take place within 5 school days of any incident to ensure its 
effectiveness, however some students may require time to reflect following an incident to 
ensure they are ready to engage with restorative interventions. 

Students with special educational needs, may need support prior to the intervention taking 
place. Students who have social communication needs will need access to an advocate or 
keyworker who can help them to understand what the process is that they are taking part in 
and how it will work for all parties involved. 

The impact and overall effectiveness of restorative practice could be evaluated in the following 
ways:

Immediate: 

• The school is aware of a problem and is putting in appropriate support in response. 
• Students feel listened to and supported to deal with an incident or issue immediately (student voice).
• Families acknowledge that the school is responding to a reported issue in a timely and effective way, providing feedback to families. 
• There is a reduction in the level of anxiety, stress, anger or distress the incident would have caused without the intervention. 

Short Term: 

• A positive, trusting relationship is established between a group of students and Venture Staff.
• The situation is monitored over a period of time to ensure the resolution is ‘holding.’ 
• Consistency of staff involved with any ongoing or further incidents. 
• Venture Staff have the support of a procedure in place to respond to ongoing incidents of peer conflict.
• Communication between home and school leads to greater parental confidence. 
• There is a focus on impact and reintegration rather than blame and punishment for those who have been excluded. Improving relationships between adults and students in school.

Medium to long term: 

• Students feel confident in resolving any future conflicts or issues in a restorative manner without the need for adult intervention 
• Students are more resilient and less likely for any incidents to have a long-term negative impact on their emotional wellbeing. (case study see appendix e) 
• Reduction in the number of repeat incidents of aggression and violence (data) 

 

Zones of regulation 

Regulation is something everyone continually works on, whether we are aware of it or not. We all encounter trying circumstances that can test our limits. If we can recognise when we are becoming less regulated, we are able to do something about it to manage our feelings and get ourselves to a healthy place. This comes more naturally for some, but for others it is a skill that needs more attention and practice. This is the goal of The Zones of Regulation​.

The BLUE ZONE

Describes low states of alertness and down feelings, such as when a person feels sad, tired, sick, hurt, lonely, or bored. Our energy is low and our body is moving slowly when we are in the Blue Zone.

When in the Blue Zone we often need to rest and recharge to meet our goals. We can regulate by seeking (or co-regulate by offering) comfort, energising, or resting. If we are feeling sick in the Blue Zone, we may need to rest. If we are feeling tired, we may need to energise (depending on the context). If we are feeling sad, we may need comfort. In all these situations, the common theme is noticing our lower energy and/or down feelings and options for managing them.

The GREEN ZONE

Describes a calm, alert state. We may be feeling happy, focused, content, peaceful, or calm in the Green Zone. The nervous system feels safe, organised, and connected in the Green Zone, helping us be primed to learn. However, we can learn in other Zones too.

When in the Green Zone we regulate by using tools and supports that keep us moving forward comfortably, helping us feel ready to go! In the Green Zone, we might regulate by choosing to eat a healthy snack, exercise, take a break, or pause for a mindful moment. These restorative actions help us proactively care for ourselves so we can move forward with ease.

The YELLOW ZONE

Describes when our energy is higher, and our internal state starts to elevate. Our emotions get a little stronger. We may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, confusion, nervousness, be overwhelmed, or have the wiggles, when in the Yellow Zone.

In the Yellow Zone we may need to take action to regulate to manage our energy and feelings as they get stronger. For example, if we are feeling energetic at the lunch table it helps to use caution and take a deep breath, so we do not spill something. If we are feeling nervous before our performance, we can slow down our racing thoughts and speech by using a mindfulness tool. When we are frustrated, and pause to take notice, we can decide to take a break to collect ourselves before we say something we regret.

The RED ZONE

Describes a state of extremely high energy and intense, very overwhelming feelings. We may be in an extremely heightened state of alertness, potentially triggering our fight, flight, freeze or flee protective response. We may feel elated, euphoric, anger, rage, devastated, out of control, panicked, or terrified when in the Red Zone.

When in the Red Zone we might need to pause and assess if we need to regulate and gain a sense of control of our strong feelings and high energy. For example, if we are feeling angry it may help to pause and count to 10 before we act. If we are panicked, we can stop and use our self-talk to help us gain a sense of control of our thoughts in order to meet our goal. If we are elated, such as when a teammate scores the winning point, we might need to pause and take a big breath to regulate our impulse to run out on the field to celebrate if there is still time on the clock.