Representatives from HeadStart Hull and The Big Lottery Fund, headed by Chair of the England Lottery Committee Nat Sloane, met with peer mentors on Thursday to learn about the school’s peer mentoring scheme, now in its third year at Malet Lambert. HeadStart Hull hope to roll out similar programmes in other schools across the city, with the experiences of peer mentors at Malet Lambert helping to shape them.
Head Girl and peer mentor Ellie described the process of applying and training, before other peer mentors and mentees discussed their personal experiences. A wide range of topics were discussed, including friendship problems, exam stress and the emotional well-being of pupils when transitioning from primary school. Peer mentors offer support in these areas to other pupils and are often paired with mentees who have similar interests in order to quickly establish good working relationships.
Newly qualified peer mentors were awarded their certificates and badges. The peer mentor badges help identify them to other pupils and raise the profile of the scheme in the school.
HeadStart Hull, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, is one of a number of schemes aimed at improving emotional wellbeing and building resilience in young people.