Step Up Mentors Off to a Strong Start

The Step Up Mentor group have had a fab start to the Step Up Mentor programme so far.

The Step Up Mentors are young people who took part in our Step Up transition programme last year and have now volunteered to support our 2026 Step Up cohort as peer mentors. It has been brilliant to see them stepping into leadership roles and embracing the opportunity to support others who will be making the move to secondary school in September.

During the first session, the group explored what it means to be a Step Up Mentor and the important role they can play in helping younger pupils feel confident, prepared and supported. They looked at what makes a great mentor, discussing the attributes and skills needed, including listening, encouragement, empathy and being a positive role model.

The group also worked through different scenarios where they considered how they might support young people to make positive decisions and respond to common challenges linked to transition. These discussions sparked lots of thoughtful ideas and showed how seriously the group are taking their new role.

The mentors were really excited about the responsibilities that come with being part of the programme, including helping to plan a family event for the new Step Up cohort in May. This will give them the chance to welcome families, share their experiences and help younger pupils feel more at ease about the move to Year 7. It will also be an opportunity for the mentors to talk about what it is like to be part of the Step Up programme and offer reassurance from their own lived experience.

The group also had the chance to bond further on a trip to Manchester. Together they visited the People’s History Museum, stopped by the Emmeline Pankhurst Statue in St Peter’s Square and the Abraham Lincoln Statue in Lincoln Square, before finishing the day with some well-earned food. It was a great opportunity to spend time together outside of the usual sessions, build relationships and explore ideas around history, activism and social change.

There were lots of steps, lots of learning and plenty of laughs along the way. It has been a brilliant start to the programme and we are looking forward to seeing the mentors continue to grow in confidence and support the next Step Up cohort.