In addition to providing counselling onsite in schools, ARC trains over 100 young people every year to work as peer mentors.

Peer mentoring programmes in schools match older students with younger students in one-on-one or group relationships. Through these special relationships, peer mentors provide advice and support, and serve as role models for younger people who need help.

We have been told that younger pupils find this enormously supportive and that the peers themselves appreciate the opportunity to support others and to learn new skills. In addition to ‘core training’, we also provide exciting NLP skills training for young people who wish to be peer mentors.

ARC mentor training programme – what does it involve?

The mentor training consists primarily of training in NLP skills. NLP is short for ‘neuro-linguistic programming’, which is a method of communication and personal development. Its aim is to create links between neurological processes (in the brain – neuro), language (linguistic) and behaviour that is learned through experience (programming), so that these can be changed to achieve specific goals in life.

It is best suited to older pupils who can work with their younger colleagues as ‘peer mentors’. The skills learned will enable the mentors to help their schools, by supporting younger pupils. It will also help them to become better communicators and will aid their own self-development.

ARC certificates of training will be awarded to all pupils attending.

Structure of training

The training takes 1-3 hours, with groups of 12-40 pupils. A brief outline of the training is provided below. For some of the training you can click to download more information.

  • Introduction to the day, timings etc.
  • Introduce each other, name, course, interests, hopes for the day
  • Listening/non-listening exercise
  • Communications model
  • Rapport
  • Feedback sandwich
  • Outcomes exercise
  • Confidentiality
  • Perspectives
  • Positive strokes
  • Anchoring
  • Endings

Training costs

It is free to our gold standard counselling package for schools or it can be purchased separately. Costs are around £100 for a day.

Want to find out more?

Please contact Paul Cassidy, our Co-ordinator, for further details at coordinator@arcweb.org.uk or on 0118 977 2818.