Year 8 peer mentors pledge 'I'll be there for you'
Peer mentoring is such a key part of inspiring our pupils to be the best that they can be. For younger children, it gives them role models to admire and look to for advice, and for older children, it gives the chance to make a difference and inspire others. Our Year 8 has a group of ‘Friends.' They are our peer mentors who are trained to support younger pupils at the school.
Miss Hannan trained a record number of pupils this year, each of whom volunteered themselves to become a Friend.
"Our Year 8 Friends thought really deeply about many of the elements of the training and were empathetic when discussing scenarios."
Miss Hannan, Year 4 Teacher
So what is a 'Friend' at Westbourne House School? A Friend is a Year 8 pupil that younger children can confide in if they are sad or worried, need a bit of homework help, or have lost something and just need a friendly face to help them find it.
“It was thought-provoking to learn that keeping secrets is not something you should do as a peer mentor. I hadn’t thought about that or expected it. We learnt to say we can’t promise to keep a secret if we are at all worried for someone because we will have to tell an adult."
a Year 8 pupil
“I’m really looking forward to building closer relationships with the younger pupils and chatting to them more in my new role," added another pupil.
