Real Success Stories: How Wellbeing Ambassadors Transform Schools

When it comes to student mental health, many schools find themselves stuck in a cycle of crisis management. The demand for counselling services is at an all-time high, and pastoral teams are often stretched to their limits. But what if the key to breaking this cycle lay within the student body itself?

Across the UK, secondary schools are discovering the transformative power of peer-led support. By training students to become Wellbeing Ambassadors, schools are shifting from reactive interventions to proactive prevention—a strategy supported by research highlighting the protective role of peer relationships and student agency (Allen et al., 2018; Goodenow & Grady, 1993). Below, we explore how real schools have used this approach to empower community, amplify pupil voice, and improve mental health outcomes.

What is Peer Support?

At its foundation, peer support leverages the influence and understanding that students have with one another. By training and empowering students to act as Wellbeing Ambassadors, peer support provides a unique level of relatability and accessibility that can be challenging for adults to replicate. It fosters trust, amplifies student voice, and promotes a culture of connection, while also addressing mental health challenges from a preventive stance.

Peer support programmes like this are grounded in evidence, with research consistently affirming that student-led initiatives can improve school relationships, reduce stigma, and contribute to positive mental health outcomes.

The Wellbeing Ambassadors Programme

The Wellbeing Ambassadors Programme is an established peer support initiative, developed over 11 years in partnership with schools, CAMHS, and local authorities. Delivered in over 200 UK schools, the programme has evolved to explicitly achieve Ofsted’s evolving requirements by embedding sustainable, student-led support at the core of a school culture of wellbeing.

Over the years, we’ve learned a great deal about what makes peer-led initiatives successful. Below, we share some stories of effective practice from schools we’ve collaborated with, demonstrating the power and potential of a strategic peer-support approach.

Moving from Reactive to Preventive Support

For many Senior Mental Health Leads, the tipping point comes when specialist services can no longer meet the demand. At The King’s School Chester, the aftermath of the pandemic highlighted a critical need for preventative approaches. Lee Parkes, Deputy Head of Sixth Form, noticed a sharp increase in students seeking professional help.

"We noticed that our numbers of students accessing the counsellor that we had at school were a lot higher than they had been before... We wanted to bring a programme in whereby we could be more preventative than reactive, which is where the idea came from."

They realised that focusing on prevention, not just crisis response, could make a difference. Evidence shows that whole-school, student-led wellbeing interventions are more likely to build resilience, reduce stigma, and improve help-seeking attitudes among young people (Houlston, Smith, & Jessel, 2011; Kuperminc, Leadbeater, & Blatt, 2001). By training students as "Mental Fitness Ambassadors," King’s School built a "first line of defence"—a preventative initiative fully integrated into their safeguarding strategy.

Building Belonging and Inclusion

At Rainey Endowed School in Northern Ireland, the pastoral team identified a gap: some students were uncomfortable seeking help from adults. They leveraged the natural connections between students to foster inclusion and support.

"We wanted somewhere that they could go that maybe wasn't an adult, maybe they could get advice from older pupils that had been through it before and have a big sister/brother type thing the younger ones could go to." — Joanne, Staff Member

This echoes the literature’s findings that supportive peer relationships play a vital role in promoting school belonging and inclusion, particularly for students who may be marginalised or at risk of isolation (Allen et al., 2018; Kuperminc et al., 2001). Their lunchtime Wellbeing Club became a safe haven for vulnerable students and a catalyst for expanding student-led support across the school.

Amplifying Pupil Voice and Connection

A whole school approach relies on student voice and leadership—elements proven to correlate with increased engagement and a stronger sense of belonging (Gillen-O’Neel & Fuligni, 2013; Nichols, 2006). At Dame Alice Owen’s School, transition support for Year 7s was enhanced by Year 12 mentors leading form activities and informal check-ins.

"All my mentees, they say hi on the bus. Even if their sessions are over, they keep that connection and it's not even necessarily that one connection, just that general sense that the older students in the school care." — Student Peer Mentor

Mentors not only supported younger pupils but also developed new skills and confidence themselves—a benefit supported by findings that peer mentoring fosters empathy, self-efficacy, and wellbeing for both mentors and mentees (Hallinan, 2008; Houlston et al., 2011).

Practical Tips for Implementation

If you are considering this approach, here are some practical, research-aligned tips:

1. Start Small: Pilot the programme with a manageable group and build gradually for maximum sustainability (Kuperminc et al., 2001).
2. Integrate it: Embed ambassador work within safeguarding and pastoral policies (Allen et al., 2018).
3. Trust Your Students: Grant ownership of projects to students; their investment drives success (Nichols, 2006).
4. Focus on Prevention: See ambassadors as proactive wellbeing leaders, not junior counsellors, to drive cultural change (Houlston et al., 2011).

The Benefits for Staff and Students

Implementing a Wellbeing Ambassadors programme yields benefits confirmed by academic research.

For Students:

• Agency and Leadership: Students develop confidence, communication, and empathy—key factors in fostering belonging and academic motivation (Goodenow & Grady, 1993; Jennings, 2003).
• Reduced Stigma: Peer-led mental health initiatives have been shown to normalise help-seeking and reduce stigma (Kuperminc et al., 2001).
• Belonging: A sense of connection to school protects against mental health concerns and disengagement (Allen et al., 2018).

For Staff:

• Increased Capacity: Peer ambassadors can handle low-level support, freeing staff for complex needs (Houlston et al., 2011).
• Insight: Students often notice concerns early, providing valuable insight for safeguarding (Gillen-O’Neel & Fuligni, 2013).
• Cultural Shift: School culture becomes more collaborative and responsive, which is linked to improved outcomes school-wide (Jennings, 2003).

Alignment with Ofsted Recommendations

Programmes like Wellbeing Ambassadors not only foster positive peer relationships and proactive mental health strategies but also align closely with Ofsted recommendations. By promoting a strategic approach to mental health and wellbeing, these initiatives support schools in meeting expectations around personal development, wellbeing, inclusion and leadership.

Ofsted highlights the importance of creating environments where students feel safe, supported, and empowered to thrive—objectives that are integral to peer-led frameworks like Wellbeing Ambassadors. Furthermore, these programmes help schools demonstrate measurable outcomes in areas such as attendance, engagement, character and resilience, which are key indicators in Ofsted evaluations.

Why should my school join the programme?

Participating in this programme benefits everyone involved. For students, it builds valuable life skills such as leadership, communication, and empathy, all of which contribute to their personal growth, character development and future success. For staff, it fosters a collaborative school environment, reduces the pressure on pastoral teams, and strengthens strategic wellbeing efforts. Schools see a cultural shift toward prevention-focused mental health strategies, improved peer relationships, and greater student engagement.

By implementing the Wellbeing Ambassadors programme, schools can feel confident they are making a lasting, meaningful impact on student wellbeing while empowering young leaders to drive positive change within their community.

Take the Next Step in School Wellbeing

Empower your school community by equipping students to lead peer wellbeing initiatives with our Wellbeing Ambassadors programme. Discover how this programme can transform your school’s approach to mental health and create a supportive, thriving environment for all.

Access Our Free Resources
Start your journey today with these complimentary tools:‍

• Wellbeing Ambassadors Cheat Sheet: A quick guide to implementing student-led wellbeing initiatives.‍
• Introduction to Wellbeing Ambassadors Webinar: Join this free session to learn how to set up a successful peer support program.

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Ready to start building a sustainable, student-driven wellbeing culture. Sign up now to join the Wellbeing Ambassadors Programme and transform your approach to mental health support!

References

Allen, K., Kern, M. L., Vella-Brodrick, D., Hattie, J., & Waters, L. (2018). What Schools Need to Know About Fostering School Belonging: A Meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-016-9389-8

Gillen-O’Neel, C., & Fuligni, A. (2013). A longitudinal study of school belonging and academic motivation across high school. Child Development, 84(2), 678–692. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01862

Goodenow, C., & Grady, K. E. (1993). The relationship of school belonging and friends’ values to academic motivation among urban adolescent students. Journal of Experimental Education, 62(1), 60–71.

Hallinan, M. T. (2008). Teacher influences on students’ attachment to school. Sociology of Education, 81(3), 271–283.

Houlston, C., Smith, P. K., & Jessel, J. (2011). The relationship between peer mentoring and school climate. Educational Research, 53(1), 23-42.

Jennings, G. (2003). An exploration of meaningful participation and caring relationships as contexts for school engagement. The California School Psychologist, 8, 43–52.

Kuperminc, G. P., Leadbeater, B. J., & Blatt, S. J. (2001). School social climate and individual differences in vulnerability to emotional instability among middle school students. Journal of School Psychology, 39(2), 141–159.

Nichols, S. L. (2006). Teachers’ and students’ beliefs about student belonging in one middle school. Elementary School Journal, 106(3), 255–271.

The success stories from King's School, Rainey Endowed, and Dame Alice Owen’s demonstrate that young people are ready and willing to support their peers. By providing them with the right training and framework, you can transform your school's approach to mental health.