What is it?

A form of peer mentoring: Helping Y7 students to settle in.
Helping Y7/8 with issues, concerns or problems.

How does it work?

Working in pairs, Peer Listeners work with a Y7 tutor, joining their Y7 tutor group once a week in tutor time.  The Listeners help the tutor with jobs like checking planners, but at the same time they chat with the students, to check they are settling in well, making new friends and are coping with their timetable and work.

They also mediate in disputes between students, and help them to sort things out themselves.

How are Peer Listeners prepared?

Peer Listeners receive training, where they learn about the essential skills of being a listener and a mediator.  These include active listening, question raising, the ability to summarize, barriers to listening as well as “the conflict spiral”.  They learn about the “6 Steps for Mediators” and learn how to handle conflict situations.  The Listeners elect their own organizing committee, which meets once a term.

What qualities do Listeners need?

Commitment to the scheme
Good listening skills
Patience
Being organized, and able to keep appointments on a rota/ to a tutor group.
Confidential
Willing to undertake this work because they want to, not because their best mate says they should.