For parents
Helping your child navigate conflict at school.
Watching your child struggle with friendship, exclusion, recurring conflict or difficult communication can be hard, especially when every attempt to help seems to create another argument.
Sometimes a young person can hear a difficult message differently when it comes from a calm, independent person who is outside the situation.
Support without taking over
A trusted adult who is neither parent nor school.
Karen can create a space where your child is heard without simply reinforcing their existing version of events. The work combines listening with reflection, perspective and practical next steps.
When support may be useful
Early intervention can create room for better choices.
Learner conflict
Recurring interpersonal conflict, friendship breakdown, exclusion, repeated misunderstandings or an escalating disagreement.
Communication
Difficult conversations between learners or communication between a family and the school that has become strained.
Repair and skills
Restoring relationships where appropriate and developing communication, boundaries, perspective-taking, problem-solving and accountability.
The whole school journey
The goal is broader than ending one disagreement.
Unresolved interpersonal conflict can consume a large amount of a young person's attention. What happens socially at break, during sport, in a friendship group, online or in an argument can follow a learner into the classroom and home again.
Karen helps young people understand what is happening, articulate their experience, consider perspectives other than their own and identify the choices available to them.
The aim is to help the learner return to constructive participation in school and develop capabilities they can use long afterwards.
Confidentiality and parental involvement
Clear expectations protect both trust and safety.
Karen explains confidentiality and its limitations in language appropriate to the learner's age and circumstances. Young people need an appropriate degree of privacy to speak meaningfully, but confidentiality is not absolute.
Where information raises a concern about a child's safety or wellbeing, or where disclosure or action is required by law or applicable safeguarding responsibilities, the appropriate protective process takes priority.
The degree of parental involvement and consent depends on the learner's age, circumstances and the framework under which support is provided. These boundaries should be understood before substantive work begins.
Working alongside the school
Karen's role complements rather than replaces the school's Code of Conduct, safeguarding responsibilities, disciplinary procedures, counselling resources and governance structures.
An initial conversation can help determine whether mediation is suitable or whether another form of support or formal school process would be more appropriate.
School-supported sessions
Can the school fund the support?
Possibly. A school may choose to fund or contribute towards independent mediation or conflict-resolution support where it considers the intervention appropriate. This depends on the school's own arrangements, policies and approval.
Parents are welcome to ask their child's school whether funding or a school-supported referral is available. Families can also approach Karen privately.
If your school hasn't already arranged this, you don't need to make the first approach yourself. Let Karen know when you enquire and, with your consent, she will contact the school directly to find out whether support is available.
Ask Karen to contact your schoolA difficult chapter does not have to define your child's story.
The purpose is not to shield a young person from every difficult interaction. It is to help them learn how to listen, communicate, set boundaries, recognise their own contribution where relevant, repair relationships where possible and know when a situation requires help.
Start with a conversation
You do not need to know whether mediation is the answer.
Karen can first understand what is happening and help consider whether mediation, individual conflict-resolution support, a school-supported process or another avenue appears more appropriate.