The peer-mentoring scheme was pioneered three years ago by Nesta Murray, headteacher at St Ann's Primary School in Tottenham, London. It is now operating in seven other schools in the area. Ms Murray said, 'It has been very successful and made a big difference to our school. You have to continuously update your behavioural management techniques, and we have tried many anger management techniques over the years, but they were all top down approaches.
'But this is different because it is from the bottom up. We are empowering the children to take charge of their own emotions and help others.'
The 22 mentors at the school, who are identified by special badges and red caps, are drawn from 'a mixture of children, some with strong leadership skills, others who have got their own problems but could potentially help others if they are trained,' she said. There is a Friendship Stop - a bench in the playground - where pupils who feel isolated, bullied or have poor social skills can come and discuss their concerns with a mentor trained in listening techniques.
Mrs Murray stressed that if issues that 'border on child protection' were raised, the mentors knew to refer it to an adult. The younger group of mentors patrol the infant playground and help the four-year-olds to develop co-operative play or learn rhymes.
Mrs Murray, who has a postgraduate diploma in counselling and pastoral care in schools, initiated the programme after receiving a grant of 1,500 from the New Deal for Communities Fund that enabled her to obtain cover while she held a class for one hour a week. Now the scheme has been given the backing of Haringey local education authority, a 30,000 grant and a trainer, Kim Staniland, who is based at St Ann's and visits local schools to train the mentors.
Leiria Ewart, headteacher at Stamford Hill Primary School, which started training mentors a year ago, said children 'valued having somebody of their own age to go to, to be a friend and to help them'. There are around 20 mentors at the 230-pupil school who receive training once a week.
Jude Clements, Haringey's Healthy Schools programme manager, said, 'Peer mediation schemes are an excellent way of improving communication and negotiation skills, as well as developing the emotional literacy of all involved. They can also make the playground a much calmer place at playtime, all of which goes towards making schools happier and healthier places to be in.'
