Peace-ing It Together

Spotlight on a Year 5 Peace Ambassadors Programme

As the school term winds down and summer begins, we’ve been reflecting on the work we’ve done with young people and schools over the past year. One highlight has been our partnership with St. Anne’s Catholic Primary School in Liverpool, where we’ve supported a whole-school Community Ambassadors project.

Together with staff and students, we’ve explored complex topics like identity and belonging, built emotional confidence, and helped students lead positive action in their school and wider community.

Our work included direct sessions with young people on emotional regulation, relationships and leadership, alongside staff training focused on trauma, safeguarding and whole-school wellbeing.

At Peace Collective, we take a whole-school approach that sees schools not just as places of learning, but as some of the last truly local community institutions, where children, families and staff come together and often carry the emotional weight of what’s happening beyond the school gates.

At St. Anne’s, this has meant working not only with pupils but with teachers and the wider school team. We’ve focused on building the skills, confidence and capacity to have honest conversations about emotion, identity, conflict and care. Real change doesn’t come from one-off interventions. It comes when the environments around young people, in school, at home, and in the community, are better able to support and respond to them.

By strengthening emotional resilience across the whole school ecosystem, we’re aiming for more than short-term impact. We’re helping create conditions where key messages and skills continue to ripple outward, improving relationships, softening tensions, and building collective capacity to handle difficulty with care.

Rather than speak for the school, here’s how they’ve reflected on the work:

“From the start, their team showed a clear understanding of the emotional and psychological challenges some of our children face. Through creating safe, supportive spaces and delivering well-thought-out sessions, Peace Collective has helped our pupils open up, understand their feelings, and build healthy ways to cope. It’s had a strong impact on how we deliver our PSHE curriculum, helping us adapt to better meet the needs of our children and community.

What really stands out is how they combine a deep knowledge of therapeutic approaches with real-world experience. Children aren’t just being listened to, they’re being given practical tools to manage their emotions, build relationships, and express themselves. It’s made a real difference to their confidence and wellbeing, and it supports our wider work around safeguarding and personal development.

They’ve also been a huge help to staff. The CPD sessions on trauma have not only helped us better support children, but also given staff useful tools for their own wellbeing. This collaborative approach has helped shape a more supportive and understanding culture in our school.

By involving both children and staff in the process, Peace Collective has given everyone a voice and a sense of ownership in their own growth.”

Pupil Voice

The most meaningful reflections come from the children themselves:

• “It helped me understand my feelings more. I used to get really angry and didn’t know why, but now I’ve got ways to calm down.”

• “We talk about feelings more in class now, and it feels like it’s ok to say if you’re not okay.”

• “I liked the activities where we talked about things that were hard but also how strong we are. It made me feel braver.”

• “Before, I didn’t know how to talk to people when I was upset. Now I know it’s ok to ask for help.”

• “It’s helped me and my friends understand each other better. We don’t argue as much now because we try to listen more.”

Pupils told us they feel more confident, more supported, and more able to share how they feel. The safe and creative environment we co-created at St. Anne’s helped them explore difficult emotions, build trust, and take ownership of their own wellbeing.

We’re proud to have supported this work, and to continue building with schools and youth settings across the UK who want to make space for healing, growth and connection.

If your school or setting is exploring a more trauma-informed approach to PSHE or youth wellbeing, we’d love to hear from you.

📩 Get in touch at info@peace-collective.org

🔗 Learn more about our education and youth programmes on our website