Steve Wooldridge is a former Deputy Head at a large High School in Ipswich and Jill a former Head of Drama at the same school. Together they ran a highly successful Peer Support scheme, which attracted interest across the County and from the Suffolk Advisory Service.Together they set up a consultancy specialising in training for peer support and mentoring.They have since devised a broad range of active training packages including Mediation, Prefect Training, Training for Midday Supervisors, Training for NQTs and Learning Support Assistants and Volunteer Training for . They have also devised a one day Anti Bullying Conference for Young People designed to stimulate a programme of action. Other work includes a mentoring programme for reluctant witnesses of anti social beahaviour for Newham Council.

Altough all our training programmes are presented with power point as a focus they are very active and our sessions are rarely sedantry. We work with a broad range of specially designed activities and games in order to prompt reflection in a different and stimulating way about a topic.

ABC Training and Support specialises in Peer Support and Mentoring and we have developed training packages which go across all phases from Primary to Secondary.Over the years we have developed extremely effective training programmes for Peer Supporters and Mentors from Year 4 through to Year 13 which have been widely acknowledged. The concept behind Peer Support and mentoring cuts across all the five central strands of Every Child Matters: being healthy, staying safe,enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and economic well-being.

We share a passionate belief in mentoring and in pupil voice. We believe that young people have the skills and empathy to help and support others to solve problems of kinds.

We have also been involved in some research with Professor Helen Cowie, one of the pioneers of Peer Support, into the impact of Peer Support schemes in schools. Helen has seen us train and has been kind enough to include an extract of our work in her latest books 'Managing Violence In Schools- A Whole School Approach to Best Practice' and 'New Perspectives on Bullying'.

Steve is a consultant member of the Suffolk Anti-Bullying Strategy Group and was recently tasked by them to write a directory of anti-bullying strategies

ABC Training and Support have been instrumental in setting up a county wide network in Suffolk for all peer supporters and mentors.

Our aim is to support Headteachers, teachers and all organisations working with children and young people..

Steve and Jill