Starting at a new school is always an unsettling time. Children are afraid that they will not make new friends and that everything will be difficult. But all these worries disappear if you have an older friend you can turn to and who gives you advice in any school situation. At the ECP, mentors – students from Year 6 – take care of Year 1 students. They meet them regularly, once a month, and at the Graduation Ball, they officially welcome them to the ECP. In order to prepare the Mentors for their role we prepare for them Child protection Course and several insets.
Clearly, it is a great opportunity for mentors to experience a new role; the Mentoring Programme helps them to become more responsible and to experience how important strong relationships are. And for year 1 students, the Mentoring programme makes a big difference in starting a new school – with joy and without fear.