Several Aylesbury High School students have discovered what it is to be a teacher after leading classes at primary school.
It is the second year that year 9 students have visited the primary schools to teach year 5s about making the transition to secondary school.
Deputy head Ellie Thompson said: “It works two ways, really.
“The younger guys get to see older students and get reassurance from the horse’s mouth that secondary school is fun.
“For our girls it gives them confidence.
“It takes them out of their comfort zone and puts them in somebody else’s shoes.
“It develops their skills of empathy.”
Mrs Thompson said the girls have visited 10 local schools including Bedgrove Junior and Bierton Junior for the sessions.
Typically they play games with the students and then discuss any concerns they have about the future.
Some of the comments from the high school girls included: “We had to think on our feet, working out how to answer questions honestly, whilst reducing the pupils’ worries.”
Bedgrove’s head of Year 5 Richard Tudor said it was useful for his pupils to see older students ‘who had started to realise their potential’ and that his students had been really impressed by the visiting girls.
Mrs Thompson added: “It was great.
“They looked like proper teachers when they are holding fort with 20 primary school kids.”
Year 10 students from the high school are also teaching lessons in a range of languages to Year 5 classes in 12 different schools currently.
As part of their language leaders qualification they have planned a range of fun activities and games to make learning a new language fun.