WAYWARD pupils are volunteering to improve the environments of Bolton schools rather than be expelled for their bad behaviour.

The youngsters have been taking part in activities such as litter picks, painting walls, removing graffiti, creating gardens and organising fund-raising events.

Over the last 12 months, more than 100 Bolton pupils have taken part in the "reparation" scheme to make amends for their behaviour.

The programme is aimed at youngsters experiencing personal difficulties and involves them doing activities that help to change their school for the better.

It is done on a voluntary basis and one of the most successful projects has been at Smithills School, where youngsters staged a fundraising fashion show. They made the sets, designed the scenery and programmes, and modelled clothes on the catwalk.

Youngsters were told that they would not be allowed to continue with the project if they misbehaved.

Phil Bence, Bolton school's reparation officer, said the scheme helps children who do not feel part of the school to get involved.

"It helps to give the children other interests within school," he said.

A number of pupils who took part in the Smithills fashion show went on to get involved in school drama projects.

So far, 162 youngsters have taken part in reparation schemes across the borough.

A team of adult mediators is also working to deal with classroom conflicts. They are working in five schools to resolve disputes between pupils in the 11 to 13 age range, and between the youngsters and school staff.

The 17 adult mediators work at Smithills School, Westhoughton High School, Thornleigh Salesian College, Withins School and Ladybridge High School.

The mediators are working with pupils who are close to being excluded from school, encouraging them not only deal with disputes but to think of positive ways they can move forward.

Rhona O'Neill, Bolton's mediation in schools officer, said: "The aim of both programmes is to help young people deal with conflicts in schools.

"We aim to help them to stay in school and to help reduce the number of exclusions, both short term and permanent. We also want to help reduce pupils re-offending in schools."

Disputes could be about pupils not turning up for classes, bullying or disruptive behaviour. Mediators listen, pass on messages or requests, and help pupils think of ways they can improve their situations.

Dan Berry, Director of Inclusion at Smithills School, said: "We are very proud of the work that the mediation and reparation teams and our young people have done.

"The focus of the teams is to support our pupils when they may be experiencing problems inside and outside school.

"Examples of the excellent work undertaken so far have been fashion shows, building a pupil memorial garden and bringing parties together who have had difficulties expressing their opinions."

School chiefs say it is too early to say if the projects are working, but there were many examples of youngsters turning their behaviour and attitudes around within weeks of seeing mediators.

And it does seem that Bolton's approach to tackling school exclusion generally is having an effect. The number of children excluded from school in the town has dropped over the last few years, bucking national trends.

In the last school year, there were 61 permanent exclusions, compared to 67 in 2001/02 and 81 in 2000/01.

Beaulah back at school helping others

BEAULAH Gowen is one of the mediators working in schools.

The 19-year-old already has a full-time job in a furniture store, working in administration and sales, but she decided to give up some of her spare time to help pupils resolve their disputes.

She has found it a rewarding experience and feels she has managed to help the youngsters she has come into contact with.

"We talk to the pupils about the different ways they can positively sort out their conflicts," she said. "We're not there to give advice, as much as we would like to sometimes.

"What we do is make the students think of answers to their own question. We turn it back on them. They ask us what do we think they should do - but we say no, what do you think you should do? We get them to come up with their own solutions."

Beaulah said one boy she worked with was well known for his disruptive behaviour, but within three weeks of taking part in mediation, teachers had noticed a big change in his attitude.

The former Sharples School student helped to set up a peer mediation scheme while she was at school. Before she became involved as an adult mediation volunteer, she worked with victims and offenders.