Teacher: Helpful peer mentors are amazing

Pride in Oldham nominees peer mentors at Saddleworth School. Standing left to right, Roshni Parmar-Hill, Reece Wood, Brad Hampshire, Alana Rudd. Sitting, Libby Collard (left) and Kirsten Fletcher.

PEER mentors from Saddleworth School who are passionate about helping others have been nominated for a Pride in Oldham award.

The school launched its peer mentor scheme in April 2015 expecting 20 students to join in and an amazing 80 students from Year 9, 10 and 11 are now peer mentors.

From organising anti-bullying events to helping students moving from primary to secondary school, the team of students are on hand to offer support and advice to all who need it.

Some of the projects they have been involved with include peer reading, where they help other students improve literacy levels by holding weekly reading sessions, and also a Kindness Challenge, where forms were encouraged to perform random acts of kindness towards each other.

The peer mentors have also led training sessions on bullying for teachers and were praised for their confidence and clarity on the subject.

And they have also led assemblies, written student friendly anti-bullying policy for the school and are setting up their own page on the school website with further guidance.

Claire McMunro, assistant head teacher, nominated the students and scheme for a Pride in Oldham award.

She said: "The amount of work they put in and how keen the are to help and support other people is amazing.

"The scheme has grown so fast that it has taken everybody by surprise.

"The children really love it and have got so much out of taking part.

"They really deserve recognition for the work they do."