IT’S a scenario any parent might dread. A little one is crying in the playground because nobody will play with them at breaktime, or help them when they take a tumble.

Now one Basildon school has come up with an ingenious way of making sure none of its children are ever lonely at school.

At Greensted Infants and Nursery School, the children run something called a Friendship Stop, where a team of 20-mini monitors – themselves just six and seven – look after other youngsters.

Monitors befriend lonely children, help them if they hurt themselves, make sure they’re included in games and activities and generally act as a friend.

The Friendship Stop is so named because children are encouraged to use it like a bus stop. They go and wait at the stop in the playground and a friendship monitor will come along and help.

Deputy headteacher Tracey Lee devised the scheme and brought it in when she started at the school, in Kirby Road, Basildon, five years ago.

She said: “It has been incredibly successful. Now most of the children in the school want to become monitors.

“When they get to Year 2, our oldest year, they ask to become a monitor. We choose 20 and they get five hours of training in which they learn first aid, how to deal with upset children, what to do if there’s been an argument and how to befriend anyone who needs it.

“It’s lovely to look out in the playground and see the monitors at work. It’s warming to see how much pupils care about each other.

“This is very important to our school ethos and something we strive to promote from pupils’ first day at school.”

The Friendship Stop monitors are easily recognisable, with their red caps and badges.

Monitors often act as argument diffusers, hooking up lonely pupils with possible friends and ensuring any youngsters needing a plaster or a bit of TLC are taken swiftly to the medical room.

Every September, a new batch is “sworn in” in front of proud relatives at a special assembly.

Kayla Lewis, six, from Basildon has just earned her red cap and badge and was thrilled to be asked to become a monitor. She said: “I kept wishing and wishing I would be chosen.

“I wanted to be a friendship monitor so I could help others. I can help children when they get hurt and I will play games with them when they are lonely.

“My mum, dad and brother were so happy for me.”

Fellow monitor Kai Potter, also six, added “I wanted to be a friendship monitor so I could try and make sad children smile. When I told my mum and dad I was a friendship monitor they were very happy and so proud of me.”

Skyla Young, another monitor, said: “I wanted to be a friendship monitor because whenever children are sad, I feel sad. As a friendship monitor I can make them feel better.

“I really like helping children, even though I have to miss some of my playtime.

“I feel happy when I help children.”

During their training monitors are asked to sign a contract, setting out their responsibilities. Between them, the monitors write “playground rules” which are then explained to the entire school during the Friendship Stop assembly.

Their training also involves playground games, advice on how react when children fall out with their friends and how to be a good listener – skills many adults would have difficulty perfecting.

Deputy head Tracey Lee added: “Many schools have buddy schemes and this is sort of along those lines, but we’ve adapted it to suit us.

“It really works and it’s something we are very proud of.”