When it comes to supporting and guiding our Key Stage 3 pupils through friendships issues, we use the ‘Girls on Board’ approach. This approach is designed to build the resilience and skills needed for girls to resolve issues independently.
A ‘Girls on Board’ session can range between 30-60 minutes and covers a range of topics with particular focus on 6 main points:
1. Every girl needs a friend
2. Everyone can feel insecure about their friendships
3. Every group of girls need something to bond over
4. Girls will tell you that, when it comes to friendships things can get worse when grown-ups get involved
5. Many girls worry what is being said about them by other girls
6. Girls withhold the truth from their parents because they don’t want to be told off
The sessions are interactive and include discussion, role play and reflection and can be followed up with a ‘reactive session’ which is a condensed version of the above points. No specific pupils or scenarios are addressed making sessions generic, comfortable and accessible for all to get involved and benefit from.
