Circle of Friends: The Complete Teacher's Guide to
Create effective Circle of Friends interventions with this step-by-step guide. Learn how to set up peer support networks, run weekly sessions.
As a teacher, you know the challenge of helping isolated or rejected pupils find their place in the classroom community. This complete guide to Circle of Friends will walk you through everything you need to successfully implement this powerful peer-supported inclusion approach, from initial setup to ongoing management. Circle of Friends is a structured intervention that mobilises classmates to create a supportive network around vulnerable children, helping them build meaningful connections and feel truly valued.
Key Takeaways
- Peer-Powered Inclusion: Circle of Friends harnesses the social influence of classmates rather than relying solely on adult intervention. Peers are trained to befriend, support, and problem-solve alongside the focus child, creating natural social connections that generalise beyond structured sessions.
- The Focus Child Does Not Attend Setup: The initial class session introducing Circle of Friends happens without the focus child present. This allows honest discussion about difficulties whilst building peer empathy and understanding before the circle begins meeting.
- Regular Weekly Meetings Are Essential: The circle meets weekly with an adult facilitator to celebrate successes, identify challenges, and problem-solve together. These structured meetings keep momentum going and prevent the intervention from fading away.
- Benefits Flow Both Ways: Research shows that peer volunteers gain as much as the focus child, developing empathy, self-regulation skills, and a sense of purpose. Many schools report broader cultural shifts towards greater acceptance across the whole school community.
What Is Circle of Friends?
Circle of Friends is a structured peer support intervention that creates a supportive network around socially isolated children. The approach mobilises classmates to provide friendship and problem-solving support rather than relying solely on adult intervention. It was developed in Canada during the early 1990s by Jack Pearpoint, Marsha Forest, and Judith Snow as part of the broader inclusion movement.
They observed that many children with disabilities were physically present in mainstream schools but remained socially isolated. A child might sit in the same classroom as 29 peers yet spend every breaktime alone, eat lunch without conversation, and never be chosen for group work. Circle of Friends was designed to address this social inclusion gap by giving peers a structured role in building connections.
Newton, Taylor, and Wilson subsequently adapted and popularised the approach in the UK during the 1990s, where it became widely used in schools supporting children with special educational needs. Their adaptation introduced the regular weekly meeting format and the structured facilitator role that UK schools now consider standard practice.
Core Philosophy Behind Circle of Friends
Circle of Friends is grounded in specific values that distinguish it from other social interventions:
Full inclusion for all. Every child has the right to belong and have an equal place in their school community. Physical placement in a mainstream classroom is not enough; genuine social inclusion requires active effort from the school community.
Relationships matter. Learning happens best when children feel safe, valued, and connected. Academic inclusion without social inclusion is incomplete. A child who dreads every breaktime is unlikely to concentrate fully during maths.
Peer influence is powerful. Children pay close attention to what their peers think and do. Peer acceptance can transform a child's school experience in ways that adult support alone cannot achieve. A teaching assistant sitting with a child at lunch is not the same as a classmate choosing to sit with them.
Everyone benefits. This is not charity. Peer volunteers develop empathy, social skills, and leadership abilities. The school community becomes more inclusive for everyone. Teachers consistently report that circle volunteers become more mature, reflective, and socially aware.
Who Benefits from Circle of Friends?
Circle of Friends benefits children experiencing social isolation due to autism, learning difficulties, behavioural challenges, or physical disabilities. Both the focus child and peer volunteers gain from the intervention, with research showing peers develop increased empathy and social skills whilst supporting their classmate.
The approach is particularly effective for children who have become isolated from peers and need active support to rebuild social connections. This includes children who have recently joined a new school, those returning after long absences, pupils with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs, and children whose behaviour has led to social rejection by classmates.
Four Circles Model Explained
The Four Circles Model maps relationships in concentric rings around a child. This visual tool helps children understand the different levels of relationship in everyone's life and is used during the setup phase to identify gaps in the focus child's support network.
Circle 1: The Circle of Intimacy
The innermost circle contains the people closest to us who we could not imagine living without. Typically family members, these are our "anchors" who love us unconditionally.
Circle 2: The Circle of Friendship
The second circle contains close friends and relatives. These are our "allies" who we would confide in and expect to support us. We choose to spend time with these people.
Circle 3: The Circle of Participation
This circle contains people we see regularly through activities: classmates, club members, neighbours. We interact frequently but do not have deep personal connections.
Circle 4: The Circle of Exchange
The outer circle contains people paid to be in our lives: teachers, doctors, support workers. These relationships are functional rather than personal.
This model is used during setup to help children identify gaps in their support network. A child with few people in Circles 1 to 3 may be vulnerable and isolated. The goal of Circle of Friends is to help move peers from Circle 3 into Circle 2, creating a stronger support system.
How to Set Up a Circle of Friends
Setting up Circle of Friends requires careful preparation. Rushing this phase is the most common reason circles fail. Allow two to three weeks for preparation before the first circle meeting.
Step 1: Identify a Suitable Focus Child
Choose a child who is experiencing social isolation and would benefit from peer support. Consider their readiness for the intervention: the child should be willing to participate and comfortable with their peers knowing about their difficulties. Obtain written parental consent before proceeding. A Year 4 teacher might identify a pupil with autism who eats lunch alone every day, plays by themselves at break, and is never invited to birthday parties despite being in the class for two years.
Step 2: Recruit a Facilitator
The facilitator guides the process and supports the circle throughout its life. This is typically a teacher, teaching assistant, or school counsellor with strong group facilitation skills, empathy, and the ability to manage group dynamics. The facilitator must commit to attending every weekly meeting consistently.
Step 3: Select Peer Volunteers
Choose 4 to 8 classmates who are empathetic, reliable, and well-respected by their peers. Consider children with diverse interests and backgrounds to create a balanced group. Explain the purpose of Circle of Friends and invite them to participate voluntarily. Avoid selecting only the "perfect" pupils; children who have themselves experienced social difficulties can be excellent circle members because they bring genuine empathy.
Step 4: Initial Class Session (Without the Focus Child)
This session is crucial. Explain Circle of Friends to the whole class, emphasising that everyone needs support sometimes. Use the Four Circles model to illustrate different types of relationships. Discuss the challenges faced by the focus child in a sensitive and non-judgemental way. When the class fills in their own four circles, many children realise they too have gaps, which builds genuine understanding rather than pity.
Step 5: First Circle Meeting (With the Focus Child)
Introduce the peer volunteers to the focus child in a positive and welcoming way. Explain that the circle is there to support them and help them feel more included. Review the ideas generated in the previous session and agree on initial goals. Keep this first meeting brief (20 minutes maximum) and focus on building rapport rather than solving problems.
Running a Circle of Friends Session
Weekly meetings follow a consistent structure that provides security and predictability for all members. Sessions typically last 30 to 45 minutes and follow this format:
1. Check-in round (5 minutes). Each member shares one positive thing from the week. The facilitator models warmth and active listening. This ritual builds group cohesion and ensures every voice is heard from the start.
2. Celebration of successes (10 minutes). The group discusses what went well for the focus child since the last meeting. Peers share specific examples of positive interactions they noticed or created. "I saw Maya join our group at the science table on Wednesday, and she explained the experiment to us" is more powerful than "Maya was good this week."
3. Problem identification (10 minutes). The group identifies any challenges or difficulties that arose. The facilitator helps distinguish between problems the circle can address (breaktime isolation, group work exclusion) and problems that need adult support (bullying, family issues).
4. Problem-solving (10 minutes). Members brainstorm practical strategies for the coming week. These should be specific and achievable: "I will ask Maya if she wants to play four-square at morning break on Tuesday and Thursday" rather than "We will include Maya more."
5. Close (5 minutes). Summarise agreed actions, confirm the next meeting date, and end with a positive statement or group affirmation.
The facilitator's role is to guide rather than direct. They ensure confidentiality is maintained, keep discussions focused, and gently redirect any negative comments. They also monitor the wellbeing of volunteers, as peer supporters can sometimes feel burdened by the responsibility.
Benefits and Evidence Base
Research consistently supports the effectiveness of Circle of Friends as a social inclusion intervention. Frederickson and Turner (2003) found that the approach significantly improved the social acceptance of focus children whilst increasing their self-esteem and reducing anxiety. Their study across 20 primary schools demonstrated measurable improvements in peer nomination scores after just one term of implementation.
Whitaker and colleagues (2002) examined Circle of Friends specifically for children with autism in mainstream settings. They found significant increases in the amount of social interaction at breaktime and lunchtime, with focus children spending more time engaged with peers and less time alone. Teachers reported improvements in classroom participation and emotional wellbeing that extended beyond the circle meetings themselves.
The evidence also highlights benefits for peer volunteers. Kalyva and Avramidis (2005) found that circle members developed more positive attitudes towards disability and difference, increased their empathy skills, and reported greater satisfaction with their school experience. Several studies note that volunteers frequently describe their participation as one of the most meaningful things they did at school.
Critics note limitations: the approach requires sustained commitment from a skilled facilitator, outcomes vary depending on the quality of implementation, and some children may not respond well to the group format. Taylor and Burden (2002) cautioned that poorly facilitated circles can reinforce rather than reduce the focus child's sense of being different. Quality facilitation is not optional; it is the determining factor in whether circles succeed or fail.
Circle of Friends vs Other Social Interventions
Teachers have several structured approaches available for supporting socially isolated pupils. Each intervention has different strengths, requires different resources, and suits different contexts. The table below compares the four most widely used approaches in UK schools.
| Feature | Circle of Friends | Social Stories | LEGO Therapy | Peer Mediation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | Pearpoint, Forest, and Snow (1990s) | Carol Gray (1991) | Daniel LeGoff (2004) | Various; UK adoption from 2000s |
| Primary focus | Social inclusion through peer networks | Understanding social situations through narrative | Collaborative social skills through shared activity | Conflict resolution skills through trained peers |
| Group size | 6 to 8 peers + focus child + facilitator | Individual or small group (1 to 3) | 3 children (engineer, supplier, builder) | 2 mediators + disputants (varies) |
| Best suited for | Socially isolated children (any SEN); whole-class awareness | Autism; anxiety; specific social situations | Autism; social communication difficulties; aged 6 to 12 | Playground conflicts; general social skills; KS2 |
| Session frequency | Weekly (30 to 45 minutes) | Daily reading (5 to 10 minutes) | Weekly (45 to 60 minutes) | As needed (reactive); training termly |
| Staff training needed | Moderate (group facilitation skills) | Low (writing stories following Gray's criteria) | Moderate (understanding role assignments) | High (training peer mediators) |
| Evidence base | Strong (Frederickson and Turner, 2003; Whitaker et al., 2002) | Moderate (mixed reviews; strongest for autism) | Growing (LeGoff and Sherman, 2006; Owens et al., 2008) | Moderate (effective for conflict reduction) |
| Cost | Low (staff time only) | Very low (printing stories) | Low to moderate (LEGO sets needed) | Moderate (initial training investment) |
In practice, these interventions complement rather than compete with each other. A child with autism might benefit from Social Stories to understand specific situations, LEGO Therapy to practise collaborative skills in a structured setting, and Circle of Friends to build broader peer relationships across the school day. The choice depends on the child's specific needs, available resources, and the school's existing expertise.
Implementing Circle of Friends: Step by Step
Circle of Friends can transform a child's school experience, but success depends on careful implementation. These are the key steps:
1. Gain Informed Consent
Ensure the focus child and their parents fully understand and agree to the approach. Explain what will happen, who will be involved, and what the expected outcomes are. Some parents worry that their child will be singled out; reassure them that the whole-class session frames the intervention positively.
2. Initial Class Session (Without the Focus Child)
This session is the foundation. Explain Circle of Friends to the class, emphasising that everyone needs support sometimes. Use the Four Circles model to illustrate different types of relationships. Discuss the challenges faced by the focus child in a sensitive, non-judgemental way. Encourage the class to share their perspectives and build empathy. Brainstorm specific ways the circle can support the focus child, such as including them in games, sitting with them at lunch, or helping them with group work.
3. First Circle Meeting (With the Focus Child)
Introduce the peer volunteers to the focus child in a positive and welcoming way. Explain that the circle is there to support them and help them feel more included. Review the ideas generated in the previous session and agree on initial goals. Keep this first meeting brief and focus on building rapport.
4. Regular Weekly Meetings
The circle meets weekly with the facilitator for 30 to 45 minutes. These meetings provide a structured opportunity to celebrate successes, identify challenges, brainstorm solutions, and reinforce the values of friendship, empathy, and inclusion. The facilitator guides the discussion, ensures everyone has a chance to speak, and helps the circle stay focused on their goals.
Troubleshooting Common Challenges
Even with careful planning, challenges can arise. Here are common issues and how to address them:
- Lack of commitment: If peer volunteers become disengaged, talk to them individually to understand their concerns. Reiterate the importance of their role and provide additional support if needed. Sometimes rotating one or two members refreshes the group energy.
- Gossip or negativity: Address any instances of gossip immediately. Remind the circle of the importance of confidentiality and respectful communication. Establish a clear consequence for breaches of confidentiality, such as temporary removal from the circle.
- Unrealistic expectations: Ensure the focus child and the circle have realistic expectations. Progress may be gradual, and setbacks are normal. Celebrate small victories and focus on building positive relationships rather than "fixing" the focus child.
- Conflict within the circle: If conflicts arise between peer volunteers, facilitate a discussion to help them resolve their differences. Model effective communication and conflict-resolution skills.
- Focus child resistance: Some children initially resist the circle, feeling embarrassed or suspicious. Give them time, allow them to observe before participating actively, and ensure the facilitator checks in with them privately between meetings.
15 Strategies for Successful Circles
- Gain informed consent from the focus child and parents before starting.
- Select volunteers carefully: choose pupils who are empathetic, reliable, and genuinely motivated.
- Train circle members with understanding of the focus child's needs and effective support strategies.
- Establish clear ground rules about confidentiality, respect, and commitment.
- Meet regularly: schedule consistent weekly meetings to maintain momentum.
- Use a skilled facilitator who can manage group dynamics sensitively.
- Set achievable goals: work with the group to identify specific, measurable targets.
- Celebrate small wins to maintain motivation and recognise progress.
- Problem-solve together: use group discussions to generate creative solutions.
- Include unstructured time for natural friendship development outside formal meetings.
- Monitor wellbeing of all members, including volunteers.
- Communicate with parents: keep all families informed about progress.
- Plan for transitions: prepare for class moves or new members joining.
- Review and adapt: regularly evaluate what is working and adjust the approach.
- Plan for ending: gradually reduce support whilst maintaining natural friendships.
Conclusion
Circle of Friends is a well-evidenced intervention that can transform the daily experience of socially isolated children. By mobilising the social influence of peers, it creates genuine connections and builds a sense of belonging that adult intervention alone cannot replicate. While implementation requires careful planning and a committed facilitator, the rewards are significant: increased social inclusion, improved emotional wellbeing, and a more inclusive school culture for all.
Start small. Identify one child who is clearly isolated, secure parental consent, and recruit a skilled facilitator willing to commit to weekly meetings for at least one term. Use the Four Circles model with your whole class to build understanding and empathy. Measure progress through simple observation records (time spent interacting with peers at break, number of social initiations per day) so you can demonstrate impact to your headteacher and colleagues.
The children in your classroom have the capacity to be one another's most powerful source of support. Circle of Friends gives them the structure and permission to do exactly that.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Circle of Friends intervention in schools?
Circle of Friends is a structured peer support approach designed to help socially isolated children build connections in school. It involves recruiting a small group of classmates to form a supportive network around a vulnerable focus child. A trained adult facilitator guides weekly meetings where the children discuss challenges, celebrate successes and plan ways to include their peer in daily activities.
How do teachers implement a Circle of Friends in the classroom?
The process begins with a whole class meeting where the teacher discusses friendship and inclusion without the focus child present. Classmates volunteer to join the circle, and the teacher selects six to eight pupils to form the core group. This selected group then meets weekly with an adult facilitator and the focus child to set practical targets for breaktimes and collaborative activities.
What are the benefits of the Circle of Friends approach for learning?
The intervention significantly reduces social isolation for the focus child, which directly improves their confidence and classroom behaviour. Peer volunteers also gain substantial benefits, developing greater empathy, maturity and problem solving skills. Schools frequently report that the process improves the overall classroom climate by demonstrating active acceptance of differences.
What does educational research say about Circle of Friends?
Research studies consistently show that peer support interventions are highly effective for improving social inclusion for children with special educational needs. Studies indicate that focus children experience reduced bullying and increased positive social interactions during unstructured school times. The evidence highlights that the weekly structured meetings are the most critical element for sustaining these positive outcomes over time.
What are common mistakes when running a Circle of Friends?
A frequent mistake is failing to hold the weekly facilitator meetings, which causes the peer support to gradually fade away. Another common error is choosing only high achieving pupils as volunteers instead of selecting a diverse mix of classmates. Schools also struggle when they expect the intervention to immediately fix severe behavioural issues rather than viewing it as a long term strategy for social connection.
Which pupils benefit most from a Circle of Friends?
The approach works best for children who are physically present in mainstream classrooms but experience severe social isolation or peer rejection. This includes pupils with autism, learning difficulties, or those returning to school after a prolonged absence. It is particularly effective for children whose social challenges make unstructured times like lunch and breaktimes difficult to navigate alone.
Further Reading
Further Reading: Key Research Papers
These studies provide the evidence base for Circle of Friends and related peer-supported inclusion interventions.
Utilising the Classroom Peer Group to Address Children's Social Needs View study ↗
SAGE Journals
Frederickson, N. and Turner, J. (2003)
This landmark study evaluated Circle of Friends across 20 primary schools and found significant improvements in social acceptance and self-esteem for focus children. The research demonstrated that peer-mediated approaches produced better outcomes than adult-led social skills groups alone.
Circle of Friends for Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome View study ↗
SAGE Journals
Whitaker, P. et al. (2002)
Whitaker's research specifically examined Circle of Friends for autistic children in mainstream schools. The study found significant increases in social interaction at breaktime and lunchtime, with focus children spending considerably more time with peers. Teachers reported improvements that extended well beyond the circle meetings.
Circle of Friends: An Inclusive Approach to Meeting Emotional and Behavioural Needs
Cassell Education
Newton, C. and Wilson, D. (1999)
Newton and Wilson's practical handbook adapted the Canadian Circle of Friends model for UK schools. It provides detailed session plans, facilitator guidance, and case studies from British primary and secondary schools. This remains the most widely used implementation guide in UK educational settings.
Will the Real Social Story Please Stand Up? View study ↗
Wiley
Kalyva, E. and Avramidis, E. (2005)
While focused on Social Stories, this research provides important comparative data on peer-mediated versus adult-led social interventions for children with autism. The findings support the use of peer involvement approaches like Circle of Friends alongside individual narrative interventions.
Inclusion Now: A Global Voice for Inclusive Education View resource ↗
Alliance for Inclusive Education
Alliance for Inclusive Education (ongoing)
ALLFIE provides ongoing advocacy and resources for inclusive education in the UK. Their publications contextualise interventions like Circle of Friends within the broader framework of children's rights and inclusive practice, connecting classroom-level interventions to systemic change.
