Compassionate pupils have been tasked with further cementing their school’s strong reputation for excellent pastoral care.

Eleven children from Highfield and Brookham School have been hand-picked as ‘peer listeners’ for the new school year, which began this month.

The peer listeners, made up of boys and girls from Year 8, the oldest cohort at the renowned day and boarding school on the rural borders of Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex, are trained to help younger children deal with worries arising from such things as friendships, siblings or exams.

They apply for the scheme at the end of Year 7 and are selected via a stringent interview process involving Zoe Thesiger-Pratt, Head of PSHE, who has been involved in the pastoral project for the past six years, and Vivienne Liddell, Deputy Head (Pastoral). Around ten children are typically chosen each year.

The peer listeners scheme has been running successfully at Highfield and Brookham since 2013 and gives younger children the opportunity to talk through any worries they have with someone who is more like an older brother or sister, rather than talking to an adult which can sometimes feel a little overwhelming.

Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield and Brookham, said: “We take tremendous pride in our pastoral provision and we are constantly looking at ways that we can ensure it is relevant and fit for purpose for our entire school community, but not least our younger children.

“So it’s incredibly heartening that each year so many children put themselves forward to be peer listeners. It really does make a huge difference and is a real source of comfort to our younger children as they plot their way through school life.”

And she added: “It’s also invaluable for the peer listeners themselves, as they learn so much about compassion, empathy and the art of listening, all of which are amazing skills to develop and are at the heart of our school values – be kind, be courageous, be you.”

Pastoral care at Highfield and Brookham is always evolving to meet the needs of modern society and the opening last September of a dedicated wellbeing hub, The Beehive, has helped the school be named a finalist in this year’s National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education. The winners will be announced in October.