Nathair wrote:
The theory is that it stops bullying as you have older girls looking out for the younger ones, it also stops that phenomenon of 1st years are scared of everyone above, 2nd years hate 1st years, envy 3rd years and are ignored by the years above, 3rd years hate everyone above and below etc.....(or was that just my high school?)
I do like the idea. When we looked around one of the schools, we were shown around by a year 9 girl and one of the things we liked was how she greeted, and was greeted by, girls of all ages. She enjoyed pointing out friends who were in pictures on the walls "That's my friend X, she's in year 7, that's Y, she's year 10"
DD2 goes to an all girls non-selective school which introduced the vertical tutoring system about four years ago and I can whole heartedly agree that the theory about stopping bullying has worked brilliantly.
When DD started in year 7 she had a year 8 mentor in her tutor group to give any help needed, and often at lunch times when she had no-one to sit next to, year 10 girls would call to her across the cafeteria to come sit with them. At other times the older girls gave good advice about problems, which younger girls would not have had the knowledge or experience to answer. Now she's in year 8 , she is a mentor herself and has grown in confidence enormously.
The trial has been so successful that another local school adopted the scheme this year.