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Peer Mediation Working Group – Planning Ahead for 2025

Peer Mediation Working Group – Planning Ahead for 2025

Established just two years ago, the CMC Peer Mediation Working Group now includes 59 members dedicated to delivering Peer Mediation training in schools. At the January meeting, members shared ideas, celebrated the winner of the NMA Peer Mediation Award 2024, and discussed the ongoing National Evaluation Project. Together, they are working to expand the reach of peer mediation in schools across the UK.

  REPORT BY VICTORIA HARRIS

Did you know that the Civil Mediation Council has a Working Group for Peer Mediation? Established two years ago, the group now comprises of 59 members who deliver or who are interested to deliver Peer Mediation training in schools.

The group met online on the 16th January to discuss their plans for 2025. Each Peer Mediation Working Group starts with a ‘skill share’ and at this session Wandsworth Mediation Service presented about their project in senior schools called ‘Reflect’. Designed to support pupils at risk of exclusion or with challenging behaviours, Service Manager Jenny Reid and Comms and Funding consultant Lisa Owen, explained the success of the programme that was designed with fun in mind and fuelled by plenty of snacks!

Really listening to children and modelling conflict positive behaviours had yielded some fantastic outcomes and WMS are hoping to licence this inspirational training so that it can be delivered more widely in the UK.

The Working Group also provided an opportunity to congratulate those who had received recognition at the National Mediation Awards and to watch the impactful video from Ocker Hill Infant and Nursery School who had won the Peer Mediation Award.

Many congratulations to Exning Primary School and Arbourthorne Primary School whose pupils were also shortlisted in this category.

As some of you will know this is a big year for Peer Mediation with the first ever Peer Mediation National Evaluation Project taking place. This meeting provided an opportunity to check in with peer mediation trainers who were in the midst of data collection with schools and to answer any queries from trainers who are keen to participate. Do look out for the Report from this project which is planned for Autumn 2025.

Promoting peer mediation so that more schools benefit is a standing item on the agenda for the CMC Peer Mediation Working Group. Promotion opportunities planned were confirmed, to include an invitation accepted to speak at an international mediation conference taking place in Angers in France this March as well as attendance at the NAHT conference in Birmingham in June.

Other events highlighted to members included the ASCL Conference in Liverpool in March and the NEU conference in Harrogate in April.

This was the last CMC Peer Mediation Working Group to be chaired by Michele Wheeler, Peer Mediation lead at Mediation Hertfordshire. Michele’s expertise in both chairing and Peer Mediation delivery came at a pivotal time for the work of this group and the group expressed its thanks to Michele for her dedication and for volunteering her time over the past year.

The meeting concluded with incoming chair Ben Harper, Peer Mediation Co Ordinator for Quakers in Britain, consulting with the group on future skills shares that they would like to see.

For more information about the work of this group please contact Victoria Harris.

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