During Children’s Mental Health Week, we’re shining a spotlight on our Peer Mentoring programme at Lathallan. Peer mentoring offers a unique opportunity for pupils of similar age and experience to come together and support each other’s learning and personal growth. At Lathallan, our Peer Mentors play a key role in supporting others – actively listening, talking openly and sign-posting to services if someone needs advice and guidance. They empower their peers to take ownership of their challenges, make decisions, and take action on their own.
When we asked our Peer Mentors about their role, the overwhelming response was that they are there to listen and help others. One student expressed it perfectly, saying, “To help peers with anything they need support with and using any form of experience I have, finding some way to offer advice, solutions, and options.” This highlights the ethos of successful mentoring, which is built on trust and confidentiality. Our Peer Mentors create a safe space where students can freely discuss any concerns or troubles they may have and receive guidance and advice to move forward.
As part of our Centenary Strategy at Lathallan, we continue to promote an inclusive, caring and compassionate culture where every individual is valued and respected. Our Peer Mentors volunteer for this role because they believe it is important to be someone whom their peers feel comfortable talking to, so that no one has to struggle alone.
The benefits of a peer mentoring program extend not only to the mentees but also to the mentors themselves. It provides a platform for mentors to work on their own personal development while sharing their experiences with others. This helps mentees navigate through new situations and challenges. As one Peer Mentor shared, their favourite part of being a mentor is being able to share ideas with students from different years and learn from them. This process involves building trust, having empathy, and showing respect for each other. Additionally, peer mentoring helps develop leadership skills that can be applied in any future working or personal environment.
With mental health being at the forefront of the educational system, pupils must know there are options and that they feel there is someone available that they can talk to. Some students may feel more comfortable speaking to a teacher or pastoral care, while others may prefer talking to their peers safely and confidentially. Having all of these options open to students is crucial in best supporting pupils with the current challenges they all face daily and will hopefully equip them for college, university or in future jobs.
Unfortunately, there can be a stigma associated with asking for help, and younger students tend to reach out to our Peer Mentors more often. To address this, our Peer Mentors are working towards being more visible and present within the school. For example, they recently held an assembly to discuss exam stress and ways to cope with it. This conversation reassured students that they are not alone and provided strategies based on shared experiences. By talking and overcoming problems together, students can alleviate some of the personal stresses they feel.
So, what makes a good mentor? According to our Peer Mentors, it’s about being supportive, calming, understanding, kind, relatable, and a good listener. Being a mentor at Lathallan is a rewarding role that allows our students to have a positive impact on someone’s educational journey while also contributing to their own personal development. As one Peer Mentor stated, “It is being able to give people advice that helps them long term rather than short term fixes, which allow negative cycles to repeat.”
We hope that with increased awareness, students from all age groups will feel comfortable reaching out to peer mentors, pastoral care, teachers, parents, and friends if they need someone to talk to or require support and guidance throughout their journey at Lathallan and beyond.