Peer coaching that improves attendance, leadership, and confidence.

Schools across England are facing rising absence, particularly among disadvantaged pupils, as well as persistent attainment and outcomes gaps. Peer t tackles this by strengthening belonging and peer relationships across year groups.

Our Peer to Peer programme trains older pupils in the core skills of coaching and supports them to work one-to-one with younger peers, creating powerful leadership opportunities and positive peer relationships across the school.

We train, develop, and accredit older pupils as confident peer coaches, improving engagement, learning, and culture across both primary and secondary schools.

The impact of the programme cuts across academic, social, emotional, and communication outcomes - with particularly positive impact on pupil attendance.

Now being tested at scale

CoachBright’s Peer-to-Peer programme is currently part of a large-scale Education Endowment Foundation trial with 100+ schools, evaluating impact on attendance, attainment, and metacognition. See more on our EEF trial page.

Why peer coaching works in schools?

Strong schools are built on relationships. When older pupils are trained to support younger peers, they become positive role models who help shape confidence, behaviour, and attitudes to learning across the school.

Peer to Peer coaching uses this dynamic in a structured way. Older pupils develop responsibility and leadership through coaching, while younger pupils benefit from regular one-to-one support from a relatable peer who understands their curriculum and methods. 

The programme is designed to be flexible, allowing schools to shape the focus and structure to meet their pupils’ needs.

What does Peer to Peer involve?

There are three core elements to our Peer to Peer programme:

1. coach training and leadership development

• Older pupils are trained in the core skills of coaching: active listening, questioning, goal-setting, and reflection.

• Training is practical and age-appropriate, and leads to an SSAT Leadership Award (available at both primary and secondary).

2. One-to-one peer coaching

• Coaching takes place through weekly one-to-one sessions between paired pupils (typcially cohorts of 15 pairs).

• Both pupils benefit: coaches build confidence, responsibility, and leadership, while coachees receive focused, supportive time from a relatable peer.

• Sessions are flexible, allowing coaching to focus on anything including maths, phonics, broader learning, confidence, behaviour, or wider personal development

3. Structure, support, & celebration

• The programme follows a clear structure, with resources, guidance and robust impact evaluation.

• We conclude with a celebratory ‘graduation’ event recognising pupils’ development and contribution to their school community, hosted either at a local university partner or on-site at the school.

PEER ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Training senior pupils as academic coaches ensures younger pupils receive quality academic support from a relatable role model. Pupils develop listening, communication, and leadership skills to aid them on the path to higher education. The upper-year coaches will also become eligible for a SSAT Student Leadership Award which they can put on their CV to help with next steps.

TAILORED PROGRAMME

Younger pupils set their programme goal with their coach at the start of the programme, and it is down to them to decide together on the best use of their time. Through tailored coaching in the shared environment of their school, these programmes provide an opportunity for both coach and coachee to learn and develop from one another.

KNOWLEDGE OF UNIVERSITY

Peer-to-Peer programmes conclude with a graduation trip where both coach and coachee have the chance to explore university campuses together. Activities give a sense of what being an independent student is really like.