Peer Mediation in Schools
Case Study
Vince recently completed peer mediation training with one of the primary schools that Wales Restorative Approaches Partnership work with. Peer mediators are pupils who are trained to support their peers with low level problems, so that they can be dealt with before staff need to be involved and before they affect lessons. Training consists of three days followed by a half day review. To become a peer mediator pupils at the school had to complete a written application and formal interview and then were selected, similarly to a job interview. This was done to develop the skills needed for their future. Not all children were successful, again this was to provide a learning point and the chance to talk about and develop resilience.
13 pupils were successful in their application and all 13 completed the training. When Vince returned for the half day review, many of the pupils ran to him to tell him about the incidents that they had been helping with since the last time they were together. They were very excited and proud to have been able to support their peers and were very much looking forward to continuing with this in the future. Staff were also looking forward to not having to solve so many issues at break time, and hopefully, for once, enjoy a cup of tea in the staffroom