Daunting perhaps - but a hugely positive skill to learn and to have. Helping others happens far more naturally than you may think - you won't be giving students delicate advice without support or be responsible for them getting their Level 6 in Maths. The help you will offer will be through the knowledge and experiences you have built up from within school and outside it - it may be that this helps a younger (or older!) student organise themselves better through seeing how you do it, it may be telling a student what GCSE Geography is like, it may be reassuring a younger student about what the swimming lessons are like and offering them encouragement. The power of a conversation with another interested person is immediate.
Will students be willing to help each other? Of course - this is an excellent school with outstanding students who already look to help and support each other and this is a strength we can build on in our House structure. In terms of any cynicism or defensiveness, we will continue to reassure students through visits to and from other schools - from what we have seen elsewhere this quickly eases once the system is in place and people see the opportunities and strength it offers.