PAL Project – Promoting Acceptance 4 AlL

PAL Project – Promoting Acceptance 4 AlL

Our Lady & St Patrick’s High School

Why?
Our Lady & St Patrick’s High School already took a proactive approach to tackling bullying in school, but wanted to develop this further to incorporate peer support for pupils in transition, including a targeted approach for pupils who find change and relationships more difficult.

Pupils say, “At the end of S5 we were invited to become ‘buddies’ for the new S1. We met the pupils on their induction day and escorted them to their classes for the their first few weeks of term. Following our training with the educational psychologist we were able to identify some of the pupils who seemed to be finding it hard to make friends.”

What?
Pupils
• Attended training with an educational psychologist and some teachers.
• Set-up a lunchtime games club, which was very successful and was also extremely valuable in helping to support our younger pupils.
• Became involved in the S1 Seminars on anti-bullying, helping to lead activities and record responses.
• Developed their own ideas about how the school could be proactive in tackling bullying and promoting positive relationships, and approached appropriate staff to put these into practice

How do we know it was successful?
Pupils say that the project has been successful in a number of ways:
• “We have added to the caring and supportive atmosphere in the school”
• “We have made everyone more aware of the issue of bullying”
• “We have been actively involved in combating bullying”
• “We have made it easier for our new S1 to settle in and make friends”

Factfile
Our Lady & St Patrick’s High School is situated in Dumbarton and has a roll of 1,313.

Want to know more?
Contact Clare McKernan, PT Pastoral Care, missmckernan@ea.w-dunbarton.sch.uk