
Welcome to North Monastery Co-educational Secondary Schools’ Buddy Mentors Programme, where friendship and support flourish!
Designed to foster inclusivity and create a welcoming environment, our Buddy Mentors Programme pairs experienced students with newcomers to ensure a smooth transition into our school community. Through this program, our dedicated and compassionate older students, known as “Buddies,” extend a helping hand to their assigned “Buddy” by offering guidance, friendship, and assistance. Whether it’s showing them around the school, explaining routines, or simply being a friendly face, our Buddies are committed to making every newcomer feel supported and valued.
At our school, we believe in the power of connection and the strength of a supportive community. Our Buddy Mentors Programme embodies these values, fostering positive relationships and creating a sense of unity among students.
Training is provided in Transition Year by a leadership team comprising of Ms Dunlea and Mr Barry while Ms Cronin recruits and supervises the mentors in Fifth Year and facilitates the smooth running of the programme.
Pre-requisites for the Buddy Mentoring Programme:
- The programme is voluntary for all parties involved.
- The programme is professionally managed and supervised.
- All volunteers are screened for their appropriateness, ability and safety.
- All volunteers are provided with training about mentoring, child development and child protection .
- Mentors meet regularly with the Buddy co-ordinator to evaluate progress and discuss changes
The transition from Primary to Secondary can be a difficult one for some and our Fifth Year Buddies contribute to making it that bit easier, and we are very grateful for their support in ensuring that our First-Year students have a very enjoyable and positive experience in our school.
Pictured Fifth Year Buddies 2022/2023

Photo (left-right): Jacob Egan Morley, Piotr Pawlowski, Ethan Loveridge,
Presley Osage, Conor Sexton and Abdullah Sofizada
Pictured Fifth Year Buddies 2021/2022
