Pupils awarded for bully scheme

More than 7,000 children contacted ChildLine about bullying in 2007

Pupils and staff from a Clackmannanshire school are to be honoured at an award's ceremony in London for a scheme to combat bullying.

Deerpark PS in Sauchie will receive the Diana Anti-Bullying Award for a project which sees P6 pupils resolving playground disputes.

The scheme is credited with raising pupils' self esteem, confidence and knowledge.

The award is named in honour of the late Princess of Wales.

The project at Deerpark involves "peer mediators" who are charged with resolving disagreements in a "non-judgemental" way and without the use of violence.

The pupil mediators wear yellow sashes to make themselves easily identifiable and use a "bus stop" to signpost the mediation area.

'Active involvement'

Two of the school's mediators have been chosen to attend a special ceremony in London hosted by Esther Rantzen on 15 December.

Recent figures, released to mark anti-bullying week, showed that more than 7,000 children and young people called ChildLine Scotland about bullying in 2007.

Lorna Spence, Deerpark's head teacher, said: "The Diana Awards Committee receive thousands of entries, and for our contribution to be judged to be outstanding in such a prestigious competition, is a matter of great pride and celebration for the school.

"I believe the award reflects both the quality of training and support provided by school staff and the commitment and active involvement of our peer mediators to make a difference for the better in their school and their local community."