PEER MENTORING AT THE LAKES SCHOOL
Students supporting studentsThe Lakes School prides itself on being a warm and supportive community.
We care very much about you and want to do all we can to help you achieve your very best.
Whilst you are with us, however, we want you to feel confident to ask for help if, and when, you need it.
It could just be you’d like to see a friendly face to talk about homework. You might just like to have a chat with someone who is not a teacher. There may be times when you feel sad, worried and lonely or upset about something. You’re probably not going to be at your best if you feel like this and you school work might suffer.
Our Peer Mentors are here to help you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we have Peer Mentors?
We have a dedicated group of trained students who are on call every day to help you talk through your problems. Our mentors are there so you never feel you are on your own.
Who are the Peer Mentors?
Our peer mentoring team are experienced, senior students who have been specially selected to work alongside the pastoral support staff at our school.
We consider them to be outstanding role models for:
• Friendliness
• Attitude to Learning
• Community values
• Trustworthiness
• Reliability
Why might I need help from a Peer Mentor?
Peer Mentors at The Lakes School are here to listen and not to give you advice on difficult situations. Staff at the school will help you access the relevant advice from trained professionals if this is needed. Our Peer Mentors know this and will always pass on any information to staff to try and help you.
You might just want someone to talk about things that are on your mind and a Peer Mentor might be just the person for you to chat too.
How have the Peer Mentors prepared for this role?
Peer Mentors at The Lakes School are very highly regarded and have spent a lot of time working together as a team and with staff before they begin to work with other students as a mentor.
Most importantly, the Peer Mentors know what kind of things they are allowed to talk with you about and they know that they need to share things with a teacher if you tell them things that cause them concern.
The Peer Mentors understand that we all encounter barriers that sometimes stop us from being our best and this can affect our happiness and our ability to achieve our potential. The Peer Mentors have thought about some of the barriers that face young people so that they are well equipped to listen. Here is their list…
• Feel as though you are not being treated as an individual
• Experiencing family problems
• Girl/boyfriend problems
• Friendship problems
• Feel discriminated against
• Experiencing peer pressure
• Bullying
• Experiencing emotional issues
• Feel as though you’re not having your opinions taken seriously
• Experiencing money problems
• Finding it hard to learn something in school
How do I ask for help from a Peer Mentor:
Setting up a meeting with a friendly, supportive mentor is easy.
You can do this on one of three ways:
Talk to you Form tutor
Ask any member of staff
What happens next?
A mentor will arrange to meet you in a quiet, private room in school for an informal chat.
Will my friends know about this meeting?
No. Not unless you want to tell them.
When will I meet my mentor?
This can be arranged to suit you.
Normally we like to plan for this to happen within the school day.
Will school tell my parents/ carers about the meeting?
Not normally – However, if your mentor feels you may be at risk of harm he/ she has a duty of care to report this to a member of staff. If this happens you may be asked to meet with a member of our senior staff. Parents/ carers may then need to be informed. This is part of the way The Lakes School cares for you.
How long will the meeting last?
Your initial meeting will be very much about you and your mentor getting to know each other and building a level of trust and understanding. This would normally be expected to last for 20-30 minutes.
Further meetings can be arranged between you and your mentor to continue the support for as long as you need it.