The role of peer counselling and support in helping to reduce anxieties around transition from primary to secondary school

This report describes a study aimed at providing pilot data regarding the effectiveness of peer counselling and support in easing the transition between primary and secondary school. A quasi‐experimental design enabled the intervention in one secondary school to be compared with standard student support in a school in the same area, with regard to various relevant outcome measures taken at three intervals in the course of the transitional year. Descriptive statistics and trends in mean scores illustrate differences in various psychosocial aspects of the two schools that may indicate the value of peer counselling and justify a further, more extensive study. The limitations of this study indicate refinements of design for any future investigation. Semi‐structured interviews with the children, conducted at the same intervals, provided rich qualitative data regarding their experiences of transition to secondary school, observations on the psychosocial stresses in each school, and the extent to which individuals were supported and coped with these stresses.