Pupils promote positivity and kindness through powerful peer support

Two powerful pupil-led initiatives that are connected by a shared goal – to nurture a safe, supportive and compassionate school community where young people feel empowered to support themselves and their peers.

The Wellbeing Warriors programme is a pioneering peer leadership initiative, delivered in collaboration with Rossendale School Sports Partnership and supported by athlete mentor Charlotte Hartley. Once a Junior Olympics hockey gold medallist and one of the youngest players to represent England at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Charlotte faced significant personal challenges that led her to pause her sporting career. Her resilience and journey back to health make her an ideal role model for the programme, which uses physical activity as a proactive solution to mental health issues affecting young people.

The Wellbeing Warriors training event – hosted at The Valley Leadership Academy as part of its World Mental Health Day celebrations – brought together pupils not only from The Valley but also from seven local primary schools. Over the course of the day, pupils engaged in workshops that built on their knowledge of key physical, social and mental health issues, while also developing practical leadership skills. Rather than athletic ability or academic achievement, the focus was on the personal qualities that enable young people to be compassionate peer mentors – those who can listen, understand and support others facing difficulties. These qualities will be essential moving forward with the programme, as the Wellbeing Warriors take on roles that will help to make lasting, positive change in their schools. To support future projects, each school also received tailored resources, including logbooks, teacher guides and posters, ensuring that pupils can continue to encourage positive habits and emotional resilience within their school communities.

Lola Mae Taylor, Year 7 pupil from The Valley Leadership Academy, captured the essence of the event, saying:

“I really enjoyed the training and I am excited about getting started on our wellbeing projects which we will help to run. One thing I learnt is that a person's body language can tell us that someone is struggling on the inside and how moving helps our body and our mind to feel better.”

The kindness and compassion of pupils at The Valley Leadership Academy is also reflected in the work of its Anti-Bullying Ambassadors – a group of Year 8 and 9 volunteers who have stepped up to lead training workshops for local primary schools. Year 5 pupils from Northern Primary School, Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads CE Primary School and St Joseph’s RC Primary School visited The Valley to take part in a day of anti-bullying workshops, thoughtfully designed to help younger pupils to explore what healthy relationships look like, how to spot unhealthy behaviours, and to provide them with practical strategies for conflict resolution. Pupils learned to distinguish between peer conflict, mean behaviour and bullying, while also reflecting on existing support systems in their own schools and imagining new interventions they could lead.

Between workshops, Anti-Bullying Ambassadors and primary pupils engaged in fun team-building activities such as playing board games, crafting ‘Positivity Glasses’ and playing ‘Affirmation Tag’, where pupils wrote positive qualities about one another on post-it notes and placed them on each other’s backs, creating a visible representation of kindness to others. The younger pupils were thrilled to meet The Valley’s mascot, Ally the Ant, whose cheerful presence brought smiles and reinforced the message of friendship and support.

The excitement among the primary pupils was infectious, as Sandra Melvin, Deputy Head at Northern Primary School, shared:

“The children were so enthusiastic when they returned to school about how they were going to create Northern's very own Anti-Bullying Ambassador. The children thoroughly enjoyed the session and told their friends all about it during our assembly.”

Anti-Bullying Ambassadors from The Valley spoke equally passionately about their experience, as Year 8 pupil Ellie Hayhurst said:

“I really enjoyed delivering the event. I’m keen to take on more leadership opportunities because the more I get involved, the more I believe we as pupils can make a real difference.

“At the anti-bullying event, I led a session on how to access support and also ran the ‘Positivity Glasses’ station during the break. Spreading kindness, making everyone feel part of our community, and learning about each other’s cultures and experiences are great ways to prevent negative behaviours.”

Year 9 pupil Tyler Entwistle also shared his reflections on the day, saying:

“I was nervous about speaking at the event, but I’m glad I did. I hope I helped the Year 5 pupils understand more about healthy friendships.

“Our team is now thinking about ways we can support our teachers in spreading kindness. I enjoy boxing and would love to introduce a pad-work session where, under the supervision of my teachers, I can support younger pupils who are experiencing friendship challenges.”

Further enriching their leadership skills, Year 9 pupils received training from The Anne Frank Trust’s ‘Voices for Equality’ programme, which addresses modern-day prejudice and discrimination through Anne Frank’s story. This experience inspired the pupils to prepare tutor workshops for Years 7 and 8, set to launch in January to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day. Anti-Bullying Ambassadors have also introduced a weekly drop-in club offering games, crafts and peer support, ensuring that all pupils have a safe and welcoming space to seek guidance, build friendships and develop positive social skills.

Colette Roberts, Executive Principal at The Valley Leadership Academy, praised the school’s wellbeing and anti-bullying initiatives, saying:

“We are incredibly proud of our pupils for stepping up as role models within our school community. Together, the Wellbeing Warriors and Anti-Bullying Ambassadors reflect The Valley Leadership Academy’s holistic approach to mental health and wellbeing – one that values empathy, leadership, and the power of peer support. Their commitment helps us to ensure that our school remains a happy, safe place where everyone is celebrated and respected. We’re excited to see them deliver more events and initiatives to help their peers understand how to spread kindness and look after their own and other’s wellbeing.”