Buddies

Our Whole-School Buddy System

At Monkspath, we believe in the power of relationships to help children feel safe, confident, and connected. One of the ways we nurture this is through our Buddy System – a simple but powerful initiative that builds community, encourages responsibility, and strengthens social skills across the school.

How It Works

Every September, each class is paired with another, and every child is matched with a buddy from a different year group. These pairings are carefully chosen by teachers to create the most supportive and positive partnerships possible. Once matched, the same buddies remain together for the whole school year.

Year 1 children are buddied with a child in Year 5
Year 2 children are buddied with a child in Year 4
Year 3 children are buddied with a child in Year 6

This pairing ensures that every child has a friendly, familiar face in another year group – making the school feel that little bit smaller, and a lot more connected.

What Buddies Do

Buddies meet regularly throughout the year and may take part in a range of activities together, such as:

Reading together to develop fluency, confidence, and a love of books
Joining in curriculum activities such as art, science investigations or problem-solving games
Supporting playtimes, helping younger children join in, solve problems, and feel included
Developing relationships and social skills, with older children modelling kind, responsible behaviour

Benefits for Everyone

The Buddy System brings clear benefits for both younger and older children:

For younger children, it helps them:

Feel known and valued beyond their own classroom
Learn from older role models
Gain confidence and support in social situations

For older buddies, it provides:

A meaningful leadership role
A sense of pride and responsibility
Opportunities to show empathy, patience, and encouragement

A Stronger, Kinder School Community