What is the Peer Support Program?

Peer Support is a student-led approach to wellbeing

Senior students are trained as Peer Leaders, and lead small groups of younger students in weekly structured sessions.

The program explores four key concepts: resilience, sense of self, connectedness, and sense of possibility.

Peer Support equips students with the skills and tools to build strong relationships and positively navigate life. Students learn the social and emotional literacy skills to better manage life’s ups and downs.

The program is supported by research and offers a best practice approach. This was recently highlighted by the findings of the ACER systematic review into external wellbeing programs in schools.

Students develop social and emotional literacy skills

The Peer Support Program builds strong relationships, empowers students, nurtures a sense of belonging, and fosters an anti-bullying culture.

Many schools report that their students have better relationships, an increased sense of personal responsibility and agency, and a greater feeling of belonging.

In fact, research into our program has found that:

69% of younger students who participated in the Peer Support Program reported greater feelings of acceptance and inclusion.
80% of Peer Leaders felt they experienced personal growth, 82% felt they improved their leadership skills, and 89% improved their confidence.

Find out more about Peer Support

Our digital info pack covers everything you need to know about the Peer Support Program and our additional services.

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Take a sneak peek at our program resources

Check out the content you’ll have access to when you become a Peer Support school.

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What’s new

Beyond “How was school?”: Making space for better conversations at home

“How was school?” is an easy question to ask at the end of the day – and “fine” is often an equally easy answer to give. That does not mean children do not want to talk. Sometimes the timing, the question or the feeling of sitting down for a formal conversation can make it harder to know where to begin.

Connection starts with conversation: helping students build the skills to talk and listen

Treating conversation as a skill that can be prepared, practiced and strengthened gives schools another practical way to support connection and belonging without assuming every student begins with the same confidence or experience. 

From Shared Values to Lived Culture: Strengthening Inclusion, Integrity and Respect

Strategies to help primary students understand and apply inclusion, integrity and respect.

Fiona Flavell

Teacher, Oxley Park Public School

Students develop values and skills such as empathy, listening, resilience, a big boost to their self-confidence and self-esteem, and a willingness to bounce back and have a go when faced with challenges.

Gordon Parrish

Principal, Robertson Public School

It fits right into our whole-school approach to student wellbeing. The students get a chance to take control and it’s student-centered. And it allows our school leaders to build their capacity.

Harper

Peer Support Participant (Year 7), Mamre Anglican School

The Peer Support Program helped me adapt to high school. I knew I could always go to [my Peer Leaders] when I had a problem or I was struggling with studying or being organised.