Peer mentoring with the MAFIA (From Malvern Gazette)

Peer mentoring with the MAFIA

3:27pm Wednesday 2nd May 2007

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PUPILS at Dyson Perrins High School are helping their fellow pupils by joining the MAFIA.

The MAFIA, or Mentoring And Friendship In Action, is part of a two year national pilot scheme to assess the effectiveness of peer mentoring in secondary schools.

Dyson Perrins is one of six Worcestershire schools taking part. Peer mentoring is seen as an excellent way of tackling difficult and sometimes delicate issues in schools such as bullying, language and cultural differences, behaviour and poor attendence.

The mentors had to apply for their roles and receive training from educational psycologists before becoming fully fledged mentors. They have now had a term settling into their roles and their teachers and the scheme's organisers report great results.

Seventeen sixth formers at Dyson's are involved, acting as friends to younger pupils in years eight and nine.

Wendy Bevan, assistant headteacher, said: "It's early days but the results have been very positive."

She said that as well as meeting weekly with their mentors the younger pupils could ask for support in lessons, meet with their mentors to play sport or ask for help at anytime.

Dyson's would like to extend the mentoring programme so that pupils of all ages at the school have someone to turn to when they need help.

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