Hundreds of peer mentors trained in schools

The student mentors said they enjoyed being able to help their peers

A peer mentoring scheme is helping students navigate the leap between leaving primary school and starting secondary school.

Three hundred new mentors have been trained in east Cornwall this year by Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust and it is hoped the scheme will soon include all of Cornwall.

The free programme aims to help children with any feelings of anxiety, low self-esteem, confidence, or friendship difficulties.

Youngsters at Callington Community College said they wanted to use their own experiences to help their peers.

Amelie, 13, said she enjoyed supporting the mentees

Amelie, 13, said: "My favouite thing is probably seeing the smile on their faces when they realise they've got somewhere safe to say their worries to."

Hannah, 12, said her favourite thing about being a peer mentor was "the fact that I can assist other people and help them with their own difficulties that I probably have been through before".

The students have been trained as peer mentors by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

The programme is being rolled out across east Cornwall’s eight secondary schools and 65 primary schools.

The new peer mentors have been trained by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s mental health support team and are ready to support September’s intake of students.

Grace Cloke said Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust was trialling the programme in West and Mid Cornwall

Ed Davis, Callington Community College's associate assistant principal, said the transition between primary and secondary school was particularly difficult for students from rural areas.

"Some of the students are coming from primary schools where there are two, three students in Year 6.

"We've got almost 900 students here."

The trust said historically, peer mentoring support had been available to students for a number of years.

However, it said the high level of trained support, with the help of the trust’s mental health support team, allowed students to access support specific to their needs.

Grace Cloke the manager of the mental health support team for East Cornwall, added: "Post-pandemic there's been a massive increase in children experiencing anxiety, there's been a lot of children that have experienced school avoidance, emotional-based school avoidance and I've found it's been really good for those."

A trial of the same programme is being carried out in west and mid Cornwall.

Ms Cloke said it was hoped by next year, every new year seven pupil in Cornwall would have the opportunity to talk to a peer mentor if they wanted to.