Team North Yorkshire: The students mentoring each other after tragic death of head boy

The school recruited a dozen volunteers to act as "peer mentors" to help others who may be struggling with mental health issues and they now play a vital role in the school’s welfare package.

All those involved undergo training to help ensure they are capable of both offering help to others who approach them, but also to recognise the warning signs when outside help may be needed.

The system was introduced in September 2019 and was barely established before the coronavirus pandemic struck and caused a major rethink about how the mentoring service could be delivered, switching to online communication which ensured the channels of help remained open.

Now the system is returning to its intended form, with mentors' names, faces and contact details publicised around school for those who want to seek them out and it is intended the scheme will be bolstered further in September as new recruits are taken on board to replace those who have moved on to another level of education.

The mentoring service is kept deliberately informal – those involved have no title – to encourage a relaxed approach for those wanting to ask for help.

Peer mentor Matthew Rooney Picture: RICHARD JEMISON

It has been supported with funding from North Yorkshire’s Stronger Communities and Public Health teams and emerged from the tragic death of the school’s head boy, James Ashcroft, in 2019.

James took his own life, and the school community was particularly affected because there had been no outward signs of his personal struggles.

One result was that students suggested creating a "mindfulness garden" in memory of James, which would create an environment they could meet, spend quiet time and reflect.

Team North Yorkshire

There is also a gardening club, with opportunities for students to tend the area and grow vegetables.

A friendship bench is to follow, which will become a focal point where students can meet and chat to mentors, if they wish to do so.

“The whole point was to get young people talking to others because talking is really good therapy," says head teacher Julia Polley. "And we wanted to have some who were trained to talk to others, so people would know who they are.

“We train them really robustly, so they understand about confidentiality – it is quite a big thing for young people to take that sort of thing on board.

“Covid-19 made us realise there was an additional need to talk and look after each other, so we were making regular phone calls and using Snapchat so everyone had the opportunity to make contact."

Peer mentor Anya Mason Picture: RICHARD JEMISON

The school uses outside bodies to provide support on counselling and those involved get their own back-up – in recognition that their role can be tough.

“Well-being and mental health go hand in glove with academic work,” she says. “People will take worries and concerns very genuinely and I think parents really appreciate the fact that we do listen and will make sure people get to the right place.

“It is not scheduled or regimented, it is a natural, holistic, thing.”

Those involved as peer mentors have a desire to help others and some have existing experience of dealing with young people facing challenges in life.

Among them is Olivia Handley, a year nine student, who says: “I always like helping people and I thought this would be a good way to continue that. If this helps people and they can then help others, it creates a chain.”

Matthew Rooney, also in year nine, adds: “This has helped me with people around my age who have trauma in their life, they have come to me to ask for a bit of advice.”

Daniel Hayton, in year 11, says the training they received covered diverse topics including “how to deal with bullying, ensuring confidentiality and helping others to achieve what they can achieve".

Also in year 11 is Philipp Walton, who says younger pupils have a natural trust for their older peers. An important element of the role was to help people find their own way through problems. “There are a lot of things people find challenging, but it is about dealing with that challenge, not solving a problem for a person, but helping them to solve it,” he says.