Mt. Richmond Special School is the first Circle of Courage school in New Zealand. The school reflects the richness of the cultural and learning diversity found in many New Zealand schools. Located in the heart of South Auckland, the school's 130 students represent a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. The universal values in the Circle of Courage provide a uniting and progressive framework for growing a culture of reframing problems as challenges to restore broken bonds and build positive connections. This article presents an evaluation of the creation of an authentic learning community in a setting for students with complex emotional and behavioural problems. It highlights the findings of an evaluation conducted at the completion of whole school training in Circle of Courage and Response Ability Pathways (RAP) designed to develop a common understanding of the values and attitudes inherent in the Circle of Courage and to provide a springboard for implementing Circle of Courage philosophy and RAP practice into the curriculum and school culture. (Contains 1 table.)