Primary School Near Peer Coaching
Elevate have partnered with Lansdowne primary school to deliver Near Peer Coaching in primary schools. Our near peer coaching program focuses on building the skills of older more able children in primary school so that they can get more actively involved in their school communities and give back to their younger peers. We have seen the benefits to both the coach and their younger coachees. The program comes with a resource pack and training on how to set up the Near Peer Coaching support in your primary school. The pack has ready to use data measures that helps the school identify the impact, and for schools in Wales a simple step by step link to how the programme fulfils the new Welsh Curriculum Area of Learning and Experience in Health & Well-being. The pack is available both in the Welsh language and English. Read more about the pilot results here
The Near Peer Coaching approach is an evidence informed well-being and learning support method that benefits both the older coach and the younger pupil coachee. Research suggests that peer coaching support is influential and effective for student well-being, learning and community. To book a training session for your school click here.
We train your near peer coaches in
- Active and deep listening skills
- Useful questioning skills
- Use of a coaching model
- Managing coaching sessions
- Giving feedback to coachees
Set up a Near Peer Coaching programme to support pupil wellbeing and learning at your school that makes a positive difference to students in your school community.
For any young person having someone who listens to them and helps them take action steps that are meaningful to them develops a sense of autonomy and a “I can” attitude. Someone who is closer to their age and who will be a good role model, invest in them, and help them achieve their goals and bring about positive change is valuable.
Near Peer Coaching allows your school to build a young person led wellbeing and learning support community that not only has a personal impact on the young coachee but also has wider outcomes in the school. Our approach allows young people time to think, focus on an optimistic future that enables them to make practical improvements.
Below are some of the outcomes we have had fed-back to us from primary aged coachees. These can be linked to the Welsh Curriculum.
- Pupils report a better sense of self-worth
- Pupils develop greater self-control and become calmer
- Gain an increase in self-confidence
- Develop a greater engagement with school
- Pupils are able to talk to someone about things on their mind
- They feel happier
- Confidently express their own opinions
- They are less worried
- Develop better classroom behaviour
- Increase in their resilience
- Grow their friendships
The great thing is that they have a lived experience of their primary school which is recent and incredibly precious, so they have the potential to become a valuable supportive listener to younger pupils. What we do is equip them through the training course to enable their younger peers
to find empowering solutions that transform their wellbeing and learning.
We can provide your school with existing resources to set up the program and can provide ongoing support anddevelopment.
On the course elder peers learn skills to help direct younger peoples focus, encouraging them to identify their inner
strengths and set meaningful goals to reach their potential. We’ve found that primary school near peer coaches develop their own sense of confidence, increased levels of empathy, self-expression, self-esteem and social connection and communication skills resulting in positive relationships.
Lansdowne primary collaborated with Elevate and analysis was carried out of the programme. The near peer coaching project is evidence influenced and links well to the Welsh
Curriculum for primary schools.
The training geared towards primary aged children contains core learning from Elevate’s accredited coaching course that is recognised by the Association for Coaching a UK based global coaching body that promotes excellence in coaching worldwide.
Primary Near Peer Coaches learn higher order life-skills that are transferable.
We train your near peer coaches in
- Five stages of response
- Self-reflection and creating self-reflection
- Roles and responsibilities of a coach
- Non-judgemental communication
- Near peer coaching process