The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis was to clarify the job description, role and significance of a school coach in a high school community. The bachelor’s thesis examines how the work of a school coach strengthens students' participation, sense of community, and implementation of early support. A further purpose was to highlight the significance of the school coach's work from the perspective of student welfare and especially from the perspective of students using the school coach's services.

The bachelor’s thesis is a qualitative research and its material was collected through theme interviews and an electronic questionnaire. The target groups from which the data was collected were the school coach of Vaasan lyseo upper secondary school, two school social workers, and students using the service (five of whom responded to the survey). To make more accurate observations, the material was analysed using content analysis from data sources. The key concepts ofthe study are school coach, school youth work, inclusion, early support, individuality and communality.

According to the research results, a school coach's work is about being easily and quickly accessible, and about giving flexible, low-threshold help and support for the students. Thus, a school coach aims to be a safe and easily approachable adult in the school community. The focus of the school coach's duties is on maintaining the well-being of students and on the preventive work. Their work focuses on individual guidance but a school coach tries to organize activities for the community as well. In the results, the most important task of the school coach emerged to be genuine attendance and listening, as well as support for the progress of studies by various means. The school coach works closely with various professionals both inside and outside the school.