Peer Mediation refresher at Rokeby school
October 14, 2024
Reflect: behaviour intervention for secondary school pupils
Reflect is a 6-week training in emotional regulation, effective communication and conflict resolution. It is designed for secondary school students who have difficulties managing their reactions in conflict situations. It is usually funded by the school or through grants and donations.
In a place of confidentiality and respect, with no teachers present, participants reflect on how they’ve dealt with conflict in the past, explore their triggers, and learn practical tools to stay calm and communicate better. The course is games-based, fun and engaging.
We’ve been delivering Reflect in secondary schools and PRUs for over 12 years. In December 2024, we won the Innovation Award at the National Mediation Awards 2024, partly thanks to our in-house training projects like Reflect.
About Reflect
Our course is called Reflect because there is a lot of self-reflection in it, when participants look within and then practise different behaviours. The programme combines over 47 adaptable activities with discussions and theory, all woven together to meet the needs and mood of the groups.
Some of the topics we cover include:Understanding that all feelings are ok, but not all behaviours are.
Recognising own and other people’s feelings.
What makes conflict worse and how to de-escalate it.
How to listen to others and express yourself so you can be heard.
Anger management exercises.
Recognising personal conflict triggers and behaviours.Practising feeling good about yourself
Some of the topics we cover include:
Why choose Reflect for your school:
Helping the most vulnerable. Reflect is designed to support young people who are at risk of exclusion or have behavioural challenges. In 2024, the majority of students we worked with were from minority ethnic groups (75%) and low-income households (63%). Many had diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health disorders, often severe ADHD. These students are frequently stigmatised as ”problematic”, facing sanctions, suspension, and, in some cases, previous exclusion.
Life-changing skills. The skills we teach can transform the way young people interact with peers, teachers, families and communities. They are always relevant, not typically taught at school, and can play a significant role in reducing anti-social behaviours. The schools we’ve worked with before tend to report that participants show fewer negative behaviours and receive fewer sanctions post-training. In the last school we worked with, 88% of participants improved their behaviour scores post-training.
Participants
16-20 students. We will run two separate 10-person groups one after another, facilitating both in a single day.
We can run the course for years 7-11, although most commonly we are asked to run the course for years 8 and 9.
Venue and equipment
We ask the school to provide a room with enough space for the young people to move around and if possible to have a projector (with sound) for films and PowerPoint. A regular classroom can work, but we would move the tables and chairs aside to make it feel different from normal lessons.
Costs
The programme is usually funded by the school or through grants and donations. When we have sufficient funding, we offer it to state schools at no cost.
For more information, please contact us.
