28 September 2026
Mr Adrian Ross, Director of Leadership
Big Sisters is Woldingham’s peer mentoring programme, which pairs a younger student (a "Little Sister") with a student three years above her. The idea for Big Sisters came about during our focus on the Sacred Heart Goal of Community in 2025-2026, with a group of Year 10 volunteers given coaching training and guidance to become Big Sisters to last year's new Year 7s. The idea was simple: starting at a new school is easier with a friendly face further up the school, and our older girls have a great deal of experience and kindness to share.
Big and Little Sisters meet at least once each half term in Wednesday tutor time, as well as coming together for a Big Sister lunch each term. Sessions are deliberately low-key: a chance to talk, ask questions and get to know someone further up the school, rather than a very structured session. Last year, the girls talked about everything from settling in and making friends to revision techniques before the summer exams. The programme is designed so girls can stay with it as they move up the school — today's Little Sisters are tomorrow's Big Sisters.
The Big Sisters programme has grown this year. As well as a new group of Year 10 volunteers becoming Big Sisters to our new Year 7s, for the first time, Lower Sixth students are Big Sisters to Year 9. Last year's pairs are continuing too, with Year 11s meeting their now Year 8 Little Sisters for a second year.
All our new Big Sisters began the term with training so they know how to listen well, ask good questions and pass on a concern to a member of staff should they need to. For the mentors, Big Sisters is a genuine leadership and peer coaching role. They learn to listen with compassion, to adapt how they speak to someone younger, and help shape another person's experience of school with courage. As one of last year's Big Sisters put it, the role meant "realising we are role models."
When we asked last year's Year 7s what they valued most about Big Sisters, their answers were wonderfully simple. A smile and a hello from an older girl around school. A wave on the train home. Someone to chat to about anything, from revision to holidays. As one student put it, the best part was "getting to know someone who is not in my year and building stronger connections." That is what Big Sisters is all about: girls across the school getting to know one another, looking out for each other and sharing what they have learned — girl to girl, year to year.
At its heart, Big Sisters is an expression of our Sacred Heart Goals, especially of building community.