Our project Peacemakers were thrilled to hear last week that one of the schools they trained in Peer Mediation won an award from the National Mediation Awards.  The National Mediation Awards 2024 are the nation’s groundbreaking mediation awards, covering mediation in many sectors. Winners were announced at an awards ceremony at the House of Commons on the 12 December.  

Peacemakers trained seventeen Year 2 children from Ocker Hill Nursery and Infant School in Tipton in the autumn of 2022.  In subsequent years the school has continued this training, supported by Peacemakers’ Train the Trainer event.  

Ocker Hill’s mediation scheme was shortlisted earlier this year and two members of staff attended the awards ceremony.  Ocker Hill is a nursery and infant school and so its oldest children are just 7 years old. It is these children who support children in the playground through their ‘Blue Wing Team’ to help manage conflict between children at break and lunchtime. The children make promises both as mediators – to listen to both sides of the dispute and to not gossip – and as disputants – to stay calm and respectful.  Together they come up with a solution to the playground issue. 

You can find out more by watching a video the children have made about their mediation scheme on the school website (it’s lovely and well worth it!)

It is excellent that these young peacemakers and their school are being recognised on the national stage.  People can often underestimate what seven-year-olds are capable of! 

Peacemakers continue to train peer mediators across the region, with eight new schools trained this autumn term, and several planned for 2025.  All Peacemakers’ work in schools is subsidised.  You can find out more or donate to Peacemakers via their website.