Who is involved?

There were over 300 applications for the 180 places on the pilot.  Schools were scored on their ability to show that they were either running or were in the early stages of setting up a one to one peer mentoring project in their school that would be sustainable beyond the life of the pilot itself.

Schools can be seen by navigating around the Participating Schools links on the left.  Here you will find the list of participating schools by region, and the type of peer mentoring scheme they are running.

Each peer mentoring project is working under one of the four broad main themes of the pilot:

Attainment
This is common target for pupils who, for whatever reason, are not quite managing to fulfil their potential academically. This could be due to problems at home, in school or simply with friends, but the mentors' role will be to discuss issues and try to get to the root of the matter.

Behaviour
Behavioural issues are most commonly the result of social issues in the young persons' life. If the mentor can gain an understanding of these issues through listening and discussion, there may be solutions that the peer mentor and mentee can find.

Bullying
As with behavioural problems, bullying is often caused by social instability and problems. A mentors' role here could be with the person being bullied, or the bully themselves. In either case, there are ways that both can be helped with the aid of a senior role model.

Transition
Changing schools, moving house, social upheaval - all can be a traumatic time for young people who often thrive on stability. Peer mentors can offer familiarity and advice to make the transition as smooth as possible.