This July, a group of Year 4 and 5 pupils at Ripple Primary School in Barking and Dagenham took their first steps as trained peer mediators—offering restorative conversations and conflict resolution to their classmates. For us at Calm Mediation, it’s been a powerful moment in our ongoing partnership with the school, built on our core principle: train and sustain.
The launch follows an intensive four-day training programme delivered in June by our team, led by Dave Walker MBE, working closely with staff at Ripple to embed a service that is both pupil-led and long-lasting. Over the past few weeks, we’ve returned to Ripple to support these young mediators as they transitioned from learning theory to applying it. They’ve been working together to handle real playground disputes and tensions with care, empathy and growing confidence.
The Calm Peer Mediation Programme does more than tackle conflict. It supports children’s wellbeing, emotional literacy and sense of agency. Ripple’s pupils are learning to listen without judgement, communicate clearly and support their peers in everyday issues. And these are the very issues that can quietly erode mental health and self-esteem.
Back to School in September!
It’s been fantastic to work closely with staff at the school, collaborating to build and a service that will really work for Ripple. As always, Calm remains involved beyond the initial training, offering on going supervision and support to ensure long-term success. In fact, we can’t wait until September when we’ll be back at school to deliver a one-day training top-up course to help bolster Ripple’s Peer Mediators’ development.
But what’s most exciting is this is still the start of our work in this area around the school. It’s part of an ongoing project with Ripple Primary, made possible by community funding from Barking and Dagenham Giving and Disruptive Explorers.
Watch out for more updates coming soon!
