How Dubai schools' peer mentoring programmes boost academic success, leadership skills

Several schools across Dubai are rolling out peer mentoring programmes aimed at and personal development among students. These initiatives pair senior students with younger peers, offering one-on-one guidance that benefits both mentor and mentee alike.

In many cases, students can through dedicated websites, receiving support in any academic subjects from older students who have been trained and vetted for the role.

School leaders say these initiatives not only help younger learners academically but also equip older students with essential skills such as leadership, empathy, and effective communication. They explained as mentoring is inherently a form of teaching, it becomes a powerful learning experience for both parties.

Harry Allen, assistant head of secondary at GEMS International School – Al Khail, explained how a student-led initiative laid the foundation for their programme.

“We have a peer mentoring programme that was devised by one of our Year 11 students. He created a website where students can sign up for one-to-one mentoring on any academic subject with a senior student. Senior students must apply to be mentors and have demonstrated high academic achievement in the area they wish to focus on.”

Harry Allen

Peer coaching and academic mentoring programmes

Other schools are embedding peer mentoring into broader efforts to strengthen community and school culture.

At Jebel Ali School, their Peer Coaching and Academic Mentoring programmes have become key pillars of student life. Now in their third year, the structured programmes are helping students build a community anchored in resilience, kindness, and a growth mindset.

Sian Davies, assistant headteacher secondary at Jebel Ali School, highlighted how these initiatives are based on comprehensive training.
“In our school, we have a structured and formalised programme of training in place for our Sixth Form students to train as both peer coaches and academic mentors. Both programmes involve rigorous training in various aspects of working with younger students, such as: confidentiality, methodology, group work, effective communication and ethics.”

Davies noted that the peer coaches help younger students manage transitions — such as moving from primary to secondary school — and offer guidance on social relationships, emotional wellbeing, and leadership opportunities through platforms like the school council and charity events.

Academic mentors, meanwhile, support younger students with studies, offering not just subject expertise but also encouragement grounded in empathy and professionalism.

“These programmes enrich our whole school community by providing our older students with community links across the whole school and providing younger students with access to older student mentors, academic and pastoral support,” said Davies.

Schools across Dubai agree that academic excellence alone isn’t enough. Ideal mentors must also display strong interpersonal qualities such as leadership, empathy, and a commitment to their school’s values.

Empowering students

David Williams, Principal of Regent International School, highlighted their cross-year mentoring programme, Rise Together, as an example.

“We believe in empowering students to be active contributors to each other's growth. Our peer mentoring programme, known as ‘Rise Together,’ is structured across year groups. Older students, particularly from Key Stage 4 and 5, are carefully trained and paired with younger peers from Key Stage 3.”

David Williams

These mentoring relationships unfold during structured wellbeing sessions and focus on practical skills like time management, academic planning, goal setting, and emotional resilience.

“Beyond one-on-one sessions, our peer mentors lead small group discussions, assist with homework clubs, and even facilitate workshops during enrichment blocks,” he added.

Despite the success of such programmes, many schools face logistical challenges in integrating them into already packed schedules.

Uptown International School is proactively addressing this issue by adjusting its timetable. “To address this, we’re introducing a new 50-minute homeroom period each morning starting in the 2025–26 academic year," said principal Colin Gerrie.

"This time will allow us to significantly scale up the mentoring programme while also delivering our structured wellbeing curriculum. We believe this dual focus will amplify the impact of both efforts — and ensure peer mentoring becomes a sustainable, embedded feature of our school life,” he added.