Peer Support Program

The Peer Support program is a series of social skills activities which complement many areas of curriculum and policy in schools, including Student Welfare/Discipline policies and the recommended Department of Education Curriculum and Standards Frameworks such as Health, Physical Education and Studies of Society.

The Leader’s Role

Senior students volunteer to be Peer Support Leaders. Their role is to help assigned small groups of students to feel happy, supported and positive about themselves. This is achieved by encouraging them to communicate their viewpoints, to listen to the ideas of others and to show respect and support for each individual.

What do the Leaders gain from this program?

Past Peer Support leaders have said that being involved in this program has helped them to develop leadership skills and greater understanding of others. By helping students to work through the program, they have a chance to review their own values and attitudes. The role can give increased confidence and will help leaders to improve their planning skills.

The Program Sessions

The purpose of the first five sessions is to build a team spirit for the group (Getting to Know You, Getting to Know the School, Establishing Group Guidelines) around a theme of sharing and friendship (Favourite Pastimes, Friends).

A session on Sensory Awareness leads to a group of sessions that focus on Communication - Listening, Speaking, Mime and Space. Sessions then progress to more complex aspects of the communication process - Values Clarification, Goal setting, Supports and Concerns, Assertion, Bullying, Trust and Stereotypes.

One session gives the students the opportunity to think about the elements that make up a school and another gives them the opportunity to think about `Making a Better World'. The focus then returns to the individual with a “Self Portrait”.