Schools Work
Our mission and work in schools
The overall aim of our work is to enable children, young people and the adults who work with them, both inside and outside the school environment, to develop the skills required for sustaining healthy and positive relationships.
In pursuit of this aim we have developed a range of programmes that help to nurture the valuable skills and self awareness for engaging with others, especially when conflict is a factor. These programmes include peer mediation, workshop leaders training, ‘Big Up and Cool Down’ workshops, peer mentoring, sessions on dealing with ‘bullying’ issues and a range of programmes for the adults who work with young people. The latter include courses on Conflict Resolution and Mediation Skills, Communication, Culture and Conflict, Setting Up Peer Mediation in Schools and Training of Trainers.
Valuing diversity
Through our ‘Valuing Diversity’ programme children and school staff members have the opportunity to explore issues of culture, identity and living with difference in an interactive way, characteristic of much of Conflict and Change’s training programmes. The programme takes shape in the form of staff training and circle time sessions over a period of anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks. There is also the possibility, subject to the needs of the school, to extend the programme.
The programme draws upon a wide body of materials including people’s names, faith traditions, food, clothing, language, maps, music, and, of course, the stories and experiences of the varied participants themselves.
In addition to raising awareness of culture and identity, the sessions aim at developing the capacity to express feelings and needs, engage with conflict in constructive ways, and the ability to value and see another’s point of view.
The Valuing Diversity Officer is able to negotiate a project that helps further the aims of the PSHRE curriculum and that is specifically tailored to the specific needs and objectives of the school.
Secondary schools work Our secondary schools work has led us right into the heart of youth work, using social, educational and creative media. These methods have enabled us to inform and educate young people on the issues of dealing with conflicts, in a way which reaches them at their own level. We have taken our inspiration from many aspects of current music and TV culture.
The work this year has also taken us off on a residential course with students from Brampton Manor School, to participate in a conference with other young people from around the U.K. The conference brought young people together who practice conflict resolution or mediation skills at their school. One of our students featured in an article in the Mediation UK magazine with his thoughts about the conference.
Course highlights included:
- Brampton Manor workshop leaders being awarded the Silver award for "Citizens of the Year" through Newham's "Shining Through" awards.
- Observing students who used to be disruptive in sessions working towards training as workshop leaders and now leading workshops in their own school as well as in other secondary schools.
The future The future will see a new focus as we participate in the training of Learning Mentors in Newham, equipping them to deliver training and sustain programmes in their own schools.