Pupils at a Bradford school are celebrating as their efforts to stamp out bullying have been recognised nationally.
Young people at Challenge College in Frizinghall have won the prestigious Diana Anti-bullying Award for their voluntary work to tackle any conflict issues among their peers.
The award is one of the national Diana Awards which recognise the selfless and positive contributions young people make to their schools, communities, families and friends.
Bradford Council's Anti-bullying Co-ordinator Natalie Wain worked with the group in the training process which involved young people from all age groups learning how to deal with different situations of bullying.
Miss Wain said: "This is a fantastic achievement for the group and Challenge College as a whole as it shows young people are taking the issue into their own hands and working with their peers to combat bullying - they should all be really proud of their success."
The training sessions were aimed at giving the 'peer mediators' the skills to deal with situations before they grew into bigger issues which would need the involvement of staff.
Lynn Rees-Edwards, a Senior Learning Mentor at Challenge College, said: "Usually, the peer mediators are allocated a Year Seven tutor group which they work with to help support them with the transition from primary to secondary. The idea of using students to carry out this role is because they are usually the first to know of any possible difficulties a fellow pupil may be having.
"However, this year we expanded on this and included extra training about tackling bullying.
"The group was nominated for the Diana Anti-bullying Award for their dedication to the scheme and the help they provide for the school. It has definitely had an impact and pupils know who they need to contact if they feel threatened, vulnerable or if they are experiencing a form of bullying, or any other issues they may be facing.
"The project overall is making a difference within our school community and pupils feel a lot more confident, and issues are being dealt with at an early stage before they escalate into a bigger issue.
"Also, some of our post-16 mediators have gone on to be part of regional and national steering groups for Peerlink, an organisation which supports young people to crack down on bullying within communities."
Officer/Contact
Natalie Wain
Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator
Telephone: 01274 437476
Media Relations Officer
Carolyne Coyle
Telephone: 01274 433526
Fax: 01274 432005
Email: press.communications@bradford.gov.uk
Date: 17.04.08
