School honoured for beating bullying (From Bridgwater Mercury)

School honoured for beating bullying

8:50am Thursday 25th June 2009

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PUPILS at East Bridgwater Community School are getting national recognition for their superb efforts to tackle bullying.

East Bridgwater runs a peer mediation programme, which sees a group of pupils trained in conflict resolution help their peers sort out problems ranging from arguments to physical bullying.

There are currently 25 peer mediators with another 15 about to undergo their three-day training course.

The mediators work in small teams and are scattered around the school, wearing tops with their names on so pupils having any difficulty know who to turn to.

The mediators hear from both parties involved in a dispute and encourage them to come up with solutions, without having to get teachers involved.

The scheme has worked so successfully that East Bridgwater has claimed a trio of awards this term: the Peer Link Award, the Rotary Young Citizens Award and, most prestigious of all, the national Diana Anti Bullying Award.

One of the peer mediators, Rosie-Anne Keirle, has also been chosen as an ambassador for the national Anti-Bullying Alliance, and will be part of a committee helping to influence bullying policy around the country. East Bridgwater head of school Sue Hearle said: “We think they are an amazing bunch of students and we are extremely proud of what they do.

“These awards are so thoroughly deserved.”

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