A scheme that has helped cut suspensions in Bristol's secondary schools by a third is to receive a royal accolade.

The Princess Royal will give a keynote speech later this month in support of the work carried out in the city by the Restorative Approaches in Schools project.

She will address a conference at Brislington Enterprise College, one of eight secondaries involved in the three-year pilot.

Across the city, fixed-term exclusions fell during the last academic year from 4,310 to 2,710.

At Brislington Enterprise College, they dropped 47 per cent in the first year in the school's £30 million new buildings.

Delegates at the conference will hear how restorative methods have been used by schools to improve student behaviour and to resolve conflicts between schools and parents.

More than 1,200 people have been trained in the approaches, including about 80 students as well as school staff at all levels.

The idea is by bringing parties together to deal with difficulties at grassroots level the need for extreme measures of behaviour management such as exclusion is reduced.

Schools say the project has helped promote mutually respectful relationships and has been used to tackle abusive behaviour, fighting, bullying and poor attendance.

Princess Anne will focus in her speech on how to help the growing number of young people nationally classified as Neets (not in education, employment or training).

Bristol primary schools are keen to join the programme.

Lynette Newman, from Brislington Enterprise College, said: "We have taken on board the restorative solutions approach by training all staff and adopting it for cases we deem suitable. On the whole, our students have been very receptive and we value it with high regard."

Other schools involved in the event include Bristol Brunel Academy, which has been widely praised for its success, and Orchard School Bristol.

Bedminster Down School head teacher Marius Frank said: "If restorative approaches are used early enough, it is possible to help young people change their behaviour.

"It is not easy but, through inclusion rather than exclusion, we can make young people aware of the impact of their actions."

Bristol City Council's cabinet councillor for children, Clare Campion-Smith, said: "Bristol schools have made significant progress in reducing fixed term exclusions and we were therefore interested in participating in this project to trial new approaches which could help reduce exclusions further. Schools have reacted positively and it is an approach we intend to continue to use."