'Teaching children the skills to handle and resolve conflict peacefully gives them insights that will benefit them throughout their lives.' Photo: by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
School of thought: Laura Church on peer mediation
‘I doubt they will ever forget that, and I certainly won’t.’
The human need for food, sleep and safety is fundamental. Feeling safe can vary with the situation, and conflict can sometimes make us feel unsafe. Conflict, if we include low-level arguments in that definition, is something we all have to handle at some point. Teaching children the skills to handle and resolve conflict peacefully gives them insights that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Through Sheffield Central Quaker Meeting I discovered the charity Conflict Resolution Education in Sheffield Schools Training (CRESST). It was just before Christmas 2013 and I thought: I want to introduce this at my local primary school (where I worked as a teaching assistant). When I approached the headteacher I was delighted with his response: he had never heard of peer mediation but he encouraged me to find out more about how to introduce it. A decade on, the school – Greystones Primary in Sheffield – has recently won a national award for its programme.
From the outset I was absolutely determined to make the peer mediation programme a success. I had witnessed children falling out in the playground and how this was handled, including grown-ups sometimes forcing apologies, and thought it could be so much better. A ‘whole school’ approach meant everyone being aware of peer mediation: parents, all staff (office, support and teaching staff, lunchtime supervisors), governors and, of course, children.
I surveyed teachers and children about their perception of conflict and how it was handled in the school, and this information was used as part of a successful application for funding. This led, under the guidance of CRESST, to a whole-school training session. It was crucial to have parents on board too, so I co-designed an evening class.
Peer mediation is typically more popular with girls, so I made a conscious effort to challenge gender stereotypes: first talking about career choices, then moving on to say how everyone should feel encouraged to talk about how they feel, and that boys and girls are equally capable of doing so. I felt very pleased when a higher than average number of boys became peer mediators. Later, two male mediators told me very proudly how they had helped two other boys resolve their argument. They were so thrilled! I doubt they will ever forget that, and I certainly won’t.
Another high point was a successful mediation with two five-year-olds: I’d been told that it was doubtful that peer mediation could work at such a young age, so I was very pleased when it proved possible.
To anyone thinking about introducing a peer mediation scheme in their school, go for it! Children told me that they felt happier; lunchtime supervisors said that the atmosphere in the playground noticeably improved; and parents were delighted at the improved confidence of their children. I felt delighted at the success, and that it could have a lasting legacy on children’s lives, making them more conscious of the benefits of peaceful approaches to conflict resolution and considerate of the needs of those around them.
Comments
So pleased to see this article and delighted to hear about how you re-established the scheme so successfully in the school and also how you promoted a whole school approach, and actively addressed gender and age issues. Interestingly when we went to the school last term to film a piece for the National Mediation Awards ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Yq62oazbI ) we met parents of peer mediators who remember being in Year 4 in 1999 when the very first pilot scheme was set up in the school. We have also been back in touch with the first peer mediators who tell us how valuable the skills have been in their adult lives. Although there may have been a lull in activity in the years before you got things going again at Greystones, it’s great that there may have been some continuing, latent support in the wider school community. The work of CRESST ( https://www.cresst.org.uk ) seems to be more needed than ever and have now helped to set up schemes in over 100 schools. Readers can get in touch to find out more through our website.
By robunwin on 20th February 2023 - 13:44
For those not in the north of England (CRESST is based in Sheffield), then a first port of call might be the Civil Mediation Council’s website ( https://civilmediation.org/peer-mediation/ ) from where you can find a local provider of peer mediation.
By robunwin on 20th February 2023 - 14:46
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