Every child feels a level of anxiety as they move from their primary school to secondary but a group of Rhyl High pupils have achieved a Princess Diana Award for their work to reduce this anxiety and to make younger students feel happier and safer in school.
The youngsters have been running a Peer Mentor scheme for 12 months. They give up their own time to receive training in areas such as empathy, communication and confidence building. They also learn to work as a team developing programs that engage with younger students and promote the scheme throughout the school
Claire Armitstead, headteacher at Rhyl High, said: “Secondary school can seem such a daunting idea to many primary pupils, it’s so big, with so many people it can be quite an intimidating prospect.”
“Our peer mentors work to address this. They make themselves available every lunch and break time for a chat, for support or advice and give new students the confidence and the encouragement to really enjoy the start of their education at Rhyl High.
“I’m so proud of the work the Peer Mentor Group has done in helping support any pupil who may need some extra help. They have given their time freely and as this award goes to show, they are an inspiration to others and their commitment to helping others is to be commended.”
The Diana awards were set up in honour of Princess Diana and recognise outstanding contributions that young people make in their schools and the wider community.
