Xàbia International College
Programme
In October 2023 Oppidan spent a week in Spain building a partnership with our first school in the Affinitas group.
Our mentor team of Henry Faber, Ben Barber and Camilla Dunhill have been working with Xabia International College in Javea, supporting students with their first peer mentoring programme. Focused on engaging Y12s to work with Y7s, we were really impressed with the positivity and enthusiasm of all those involved.
In simple terms peer mentoring involves training older students to mentor their younger peers, developing whole school community and pupil leadership skills. With surveying before and after the programme, Oppidan are principally tasked to measure pupil confidence, communication and sense of belonging.
A big thank you to fantastic Headmaster Richard Wijeratne as well as the whole team at Affinitas education for making it possible.
Keith McCormack, Head of Sixth Form, said:
“The Mentors are still speaking the praises of you and your wonderful team from the sessions. They are enjoying engaging with the Year 7 students in general. There are a view that are a little more nervous, but I am supporting them as much as possible.
Overall, the effect that I notice most is on the Mentors themselves. They are more focused and are content in their approach to the programme, and to their own studies. Miss Fletcher, the Head of KS3, has commented to me only yesterday about how much she sees the Year 12 and Year 13 students interacting with the Year 7s on a daily basis. I guess this is a benefit of the programme in a smaller place of learning as the access opportunities are constant.
The written feedback I have received from the mentors confirms that they understand their responsibilities in the role and they are providing a safe platform for their mentees to open up a discourse with them. This is extremely good to see. I have given the mentors a deadline of Tuesday the 5th of December to send more written feedback to me and I will filter through the guts of that to you shortly after that.
I would like to thank you once again for the tremendous programme and delivery from your team.”
