Troubled teenagers teach archery to primary pupils (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Troubled teenagers teach archery to primary pupils

A GROUP of teenagers are trying to get their lives back on course by teaching archery to primary school children.

The group of five boys and two girls, who have been excluded from secondary schools in Wiltshire, taught two archery to year five and year six pupils at St John's Primary School, Warminster.

The excluded students attend Wiltshire County Council's Young Person Support Service, whose task is to equip them with the skills needed to get back into mainstream education.

As part of their YPSS Level Two training, the students are required to take an active part in the community, to help them gain the respect of others and to rebuild their self-esteem.

YPSS senior group worker Darren Oram said the archery sessions represented a major step forward in the teenagers' social development.

"I have two young children at St John's School so I knew the head teacher, Sue Humphries, quite well," he said.

"When I ran the idea of archery by her she seemed very keen.

"This was a real step into the unknown but she has been brilliant about the whole thing."

The archery equipment for the two hour-long sessions was donated by the police charity Crimebeat.

The sessions took place on the school field during lesson time last Thursday and yesterday.

Mr Oram said: "Watching the students teach the young children was mind-blowing.

"They gained so much responsibility and self-respect and really started to feel like role models."

Group member Sean Reilly, 14, who was excluded from St Laurence School, Bradford on Avon and John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge, said: "It was great to be able to teach archery to the young children. Since I joined the YPSS my social skills have really developed and I'm able to cope with my problems much better now."

Mrs Humphries said the students conducted themselves well in front of the young children.

"They behaved impeccably and the children really looked up to them," she said.

"They would be more than welcome to come back to the school to teach other activities in the future.

"All the children really enjoyed the archery sessions and we are now considering setting up an after-school club."