Volunteer pastors to support pupils in school

School Pastors are set to begin supporting pupils at St Augustine Academy in Maidstone by late 2025

A faith school in Kent is to welcome volunteer School Pastors to support its pupils.

St Augustine Academy in Maidstone said it was "overjoyed" to be welcoming The School Pastors scheme, an initiative in which volunteers from local churches provide a listening ear to children and extra pastoral support.

School chaplain Keeley James said the scheme, which also aimed to reduce levels of anti-social behaviour, was a blessing for students and the wider community.

A launch event to recruit volunteers from local churches takes place at Maidstone Baptist Church at 19:00 BST on Wednesday.

Ms James added: "This is compassion in action—meeting students where they are and walking alongside them with grace and empathy.

"It takes courage for a young person to open up, and it takes a strong and loving community to create the kind of safe space where that's possible."

About 400 School Pastors currently operate in more than 30 schools across the UK in a scheme run by the Ascension Trust.

Nigel Downes, Street Pastors coordinator for Maidstone and Gravesend, said he thought the scheme was "critical".

"The number of people we speak to now with children and grandchildren and everyone says how stressful school is," he added.

Mr Downs said youngsters needed "someone to talk to and listen to them".

Newly recruited volunteers will attend funded training in October, ahead of the rollout later this year.

Maidstone was also the first town in Kent to have Street Pastors, which began operating to support members of the public in the night time economy in 2008.

School Pastors will be supporting pupils between 10:00 and 12:00 every Wednesday.

It is hoped the scheme will be up and running by the end of 2025.