Two representatives from the charity were based in Peckover Hall where they delivered a day long anti-bullying training session to students from Year 8 to Upper Sixth from Leighton Park, Cox Green School near Maidenhead and Shiplake College in Oxfordshire.
The anti-bullying ambassadors experienced a few icebreaking sessions to encourage bonding and trust which involved a large parachute and much hilarity as the students charged from one side of the circle to the other. They then wrote compliments on post-its and decorated one another with positive feedback, witnessing how such kind comments affected their own happiness.
The sessions focussed on the differences between verbal bullying, physical bullying and indirect bullying such as talking behind someone’s back, exclusion from groups or events, and cyber-bullying. The Trust provided useful workbooks both for students and for the staff accompanying them and responsible for mentoring the anti-bullying ambassadors in each school.
Year 9 student,David commented, “I really enjoyed the anti-bullying training, it was a spectacular experience. It was very helpful and now I know what to do when a friend or any student may be bullied. I learnt that an anti-bullying ambassador must listen and not judge – no matter what the problem, and always be supportive, because it’s not easy telling someone what you’re going through. We must also be aware of how they are feeling and respond with care and not respond recklessly as we might make the situation worse. I would definitely recommend the training to everyone.”
The day concluded with students discussing how to implement the lessons they had learned within their own school environments and considering how to respond when they were approached by a fellow student who may choose to open up to them in their role as an anti-bullying ambassador.
“It’s been a good day”, reflected Leander (Year 8), as Jocelyn (Year 9) added, “My favourite part was the parachute game, but I’ve learnt a lot.”
Event Organiser and Leighton Park’s Pastoral Intervention Officer, Rachel Webb, said “It was lovely to see the newly trained Ant-Bullying Ambassadors sharing new ideas and planning for the year ahead, the main focus for the group this year is ‘Respect’ which also brings in one of our Quaker values. We now have twenty trained Ambassadors empowered to help with the care and welfare of other students within the Leighton Park community”.
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