Students training to become 'heroes'

Students from two Didcot schools joined forces while training to be ‘heroes’ at special sessions aimed specifically at their age groups.

Students from Year 9 at Aureus School took part in Humanutopia’s Heroes Training at the second visit of the team earlier this month. They were joined by children from Aureus Primary School, both are members of the GLF Schools Multi-Academy Trust.

That session came under the umbrella of ‘Heroes Journey’ which is a peer mentoring programme designed to empower young people to nurture young leaders who can become instrumental pillars of support for those around them.

“In this immersive programme, two distinct age groups embark on a profound journey of mutual growth, learning and empowerment. Under the guidance of our experienced facilitators, student heroes explore the realms of self-discovery, communication mastery, and empathetic engagement.”

Working with Year 4 students helps the younger children to become more confident in secondary school, and shows them that it’s not a scary place and offers them the chance to make new friends.

One of the biggest changes within education has been the offer of support for students.

“From bespoke interventions in and out of schools, to external visitors coming into schools to run events and assemblies, getting important information out to students in an engaging way,” said Callie Fisher, Head of Year 7 at Aureus School.

Everything from fears about getting lost in the school, to worries about getting changed in PE or even liking the canteen food can all be allayed with peer mentoring.

The school’s current Year 9 students will go on to become mentors for the September arrival of the Year 7 children. The Humanutopia training will help the volunteer heroes discover skills they will need to make a difference to both themselves and other people.

Future visits to Aureus School by Humanutopia are planned for the coming weeks.