Witham and Braintree schoolchildren have become stars of the small screen in a bid to stop bullying.
Film crews from Essex County Council filmed a training video for pupils throughout the county at Tabor School, Braintree, and Rickstones School, Witham.
Screen stars - Ashley Saunders, a pupil at Rickstones School, is filmed by Rick Rotondo. Picture: ADRIAN RUSTHON
Both schools have developed a peer support programme with the county council's behavioural support unit, where senior students are trained as mentors for younger students.
The training video, which will be used across schools in Essex, demonstrates how the process works and will accompany a manual.
As Rickstones is an Arts College, pupils from its fast-track drama group were asked to put together a short sketch, with guidance from the production crew.
The film shows different scenarios of bullying and how the victim turns to their mentor for support. The mentors and teachers are then interviewed about the scheme and its benefits.
Roger Abo-Heriksen, head at Tabor School, in Panfield Lane, added: "It's quite a lot of hard work for the students and they then work within the school as peer support for years seven, eight and nine."
Terry Canty, headteacher at Rickstones School, said bullying was not a problem at the school but they wanted to take a pro-active stance against it
Published Monday, May 26, 2003
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