Drop-Down, Off-Timetable Days
Workshops giving young people the opportunity to explore issues around peace and conflict, develop critical thinking skills and initiate dialogue on difficult issues.
Our trainers will introduce techniques for dialogue and discussion in ways that are interactive and engaging.
- Up to 30 pupils
- 1 trainer
- 2 hours
- Can be repeated through the day
- Topics can be tailored
Content to be explored might include:
- Thinking critically about our world/the news
- Exploring what peace and conflict means to us
- Relationships and the effect of social media
- Understanding what happens in situations of conflict
- Strategies to work with conflict
Skills for Life Course
This extended course is designed to help young people develop peacemaking and conflict resolution skills.
We listen to the issues affecting young people and support them to develop non-violent strategies for resolving problems and repairing relationships - with their peers and with staff.
- 30 pupils
- 1 trainer
- 1 hour per week
- Up to 10 weeks
- We can be flexible
This course includes:
- Understanding peace and conflict: what do we mean by peace, the causes of conflict, how we respond to conflict, how conflict can escalate and the role of blame in conflict.
- The role of social media: the impact of social media on inter-personal relationships and conflict, how social media can be used in positive ways.
- Developing emotional literacy: exploring the need to express emotions, safe ways to express emotions, understanding anger, how thoughts and feelings can affect our behaviour.
- Non-violent communication: understanding needs, how to express needs in safe ways, being assertive.
- Conflict resolution: ways to make efforts towards resolving conflict, introduction to mediation.
Minus Violence Plus Peace
Positive Peace Groups run for 6 weeks, with small groups of approximately 6 young people who are at risk of being involved in youth violence or knife crime in particular. In these sessions we explore themes of peace and conflict within the young people’s lives and resource them to deal with conflict creatively and non violently.
Due to this success we are continuing the –V+P Project working in schools delivering 6 week sessions with young people who schools identify as being at risk of exclusion for involvement in violence and knife crime.
Our approach is to focus on listening to young people’s experience, looking at what underlies violence and fostering a peace building response in young people.
The pilot of our project Minus Violence Plus Peace was extremely well received and successful. With positive feedback from the young people involved:
It aims to:
- Improve resilience amongst young people at risk or involved in life-threatening behaviour involving knives.
- Support at-risk young people and produce resources/campaign to raise awareness and share prevention messages.
In addition, we can offer INSETS aimed at:
- Increasing knowledge of school staff of the tools and strategies needed to build positive peace and cohesion within education settings.
Schools which would like to participate need to provide:
- The time for the interventions above to take place.
- One or two members of staff interested in the issue to support the work in school and to take forward any outcomes from these interventions.
- The above is a brief outline of the work only, as if you are at all interested in finding out more we would really like to come into the school, to talk through the project in more detail and explore what shape it might take in your school.
Interested in finding our more? Please get in touch via email in the first instance to:
We look forward to hearing from you.
Peer Mediation in Secondary
Increasing numbers of schools are establishing peer mediation schemes to build a safer, more peaceful environment for young people. Schools consistently report that mediation appreciably reduces the amount of staff-time responding to student conflicts, while the mediators themselves enjoy the responsibility.
We can help you set up a sustainable peer mediation scheme or refresh and maintain an existing scheme.
- 24 pupils
- 1 trainer
- Prelim & follow up meetings
- 3 days training
- Resources included
What's Involved?
Peer Mediation Training
This is a typical pathway a school might take...
A SCHOOL GETS IN TOUCH
You might want to set up a new scheme in your school or refresh an existing scheme.
WE HAVE A MEETING
We'll come into school and find out more about your school and share with you what's involved in the training.
COSTS AGREED & APPLICATION PROCESS.
Bursaries discussed. Typically 24 pupils are selected by their peer group from those that apply.
A QUALITY 3 DAY TRAINING EXPERIENCE
Dynamic, experiential training course takes place for 24 trainees and lead staff member.
CROSS SCHOOL LEARNING
Support on ways to disseminate learning to the whole school community, including a staff briefing. Resource pack supplied..
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW UP
Course will be evaluated by the pupils, staff and trainer and a report shared with the school.
Get in touch to book Peer Mediation training for next term.
What are the benefits?
- Staff spend less time responding to incidents during and after lunch.
- Staff have a greater understanding of students’ experiences and relationships.
- There is improved student behaviour and opportunities for classroom dialogue.
- Students develop confidence and social skills.
- Students develop stronger communication skills.
- Students experience support from a team.
- Students develop skills for life.
- Students experience the satisfaction of helping their peers.
- Students have an opportunity to resolve conflicts without involving adults.
- Students have the chance to have their point of view heard and understood and find a solution that works for them.
- There is a more peaceful school environment.
What people say about Peer Mediation Training
We are members of the Peer Mediation Network and adhere to its Best Practice Guidelines.
In 2017 we were proud to announce that a school we work with in Nuneaton won the Lighting the Fire, Peer Mediation Award!
The course is interactive and engaging, using activities, drama, discussion, pair and group work to explore issues and build skills.
Professional Development
We offer staff training for teaching and non-teaching staff in schools.