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Buddies Are Back at Elmhurst

Posted: 20th September 2021

At Elmhurst, we run a buddy system that pairs the oldest pupils in Year 6 with the youngest pupils in Reception and Little Elms.
Due to Covid restrictions placed on schools, we have regretfully not been able to do this for the past two years. 
However, I am very pleased to inform you that this now up and running again and the mutual benefits are for all to see.

By pairing the youngest with the oldest, we aim to give our boys in Reception the chance to have a role-model, a friend and someone to show them the ropes e.g. how to eat with a knife and fork, a friend to play with and show them new games or a friendly face to talk to.
For the Year 6, we hope that they are instilled with a greater sense of responsibility in having to be a role-model. As one Year 6 boy remarked, half-jokingly, “We’re parents now!”.
But don’t just take my word for it. See for yourselves what some of our boys have said about the Elmhurst Buddy system below:

 

What Some of the Reception Boys Like About Having a Buddy

NC, AH and IM: “We enjoy eating with our buddies!”. 
OJ, VS, SS, IY and LV: “We all enjoy playing with our buddies!”. 
AK: “I enjoy racing with my buddy!”. 
SK: “I enjoy building houses with my buddy!”. 
DCK: “I enjoy playing tag with my buddy!”. 
JN: “I enjoy going on the pirate ship with my buddy!”. 
 

What the Year 6s Like Most About Being a Buddy

“There are many wonderful reasons for being a buddy but there are two that really stand out to me.

Firstly, fitting into a new school is extremely difficult; without someone knowledgeable guiding you around you would struggle. It is also very heart-warming to see the once shy boys walking around with gleaming smiles and a skip in their step.

Moreover, you can teach them many valuable lessons and even introduce them to new people. Without a buddy, I would not have had the opportunity to teach many of the manners I have learnt and help them gain the confidence to face their fears.

Playing with my buddy is delightful and buddy lunch is the one of the most exciting activities which I look forward to every week.” TJ, Year 6

 

“There are many things great about being a buddy; the two I like most about being one is that we help new children younger than us around the school. After some time, they will start to fit in and make more friends with you and many other children in their class. They might also feel coy about starting a new school and having an older sibling-like figure is very helpful for them to push their fears aside and become a confident Elmhurst boy.” CG, Year 6

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