The role of moral atmosphere(MA) (L.Kolberg) at school in the process of shaping the image of the reference peer in adolescents from the standpoint of the orienting activity theory ofP.Ya.Galperin is discussed. In the context of the developmental psychology approach (L.S. Vygotsky, D.B.El’konin) the moral atmosphere of the school is viewed as a component of the social situation of development (SSR) in adolescence. The construct «the image of the reference peer» (ORF) is considered. The significant personality traits of the ORF as the I-ideal for modern adolescents are revealed on the basis of the typology of personality traits proposed by the authors (skills, communicative, activity, moral, external characteristics), which reflect the importance of self-presentation of adolescents and their focusing on the interpersonal relationships to achieve high intra-group status. The similarities and differences in the ORS of adolescents and their perceptions of the ORS pattern in peers are revealed. The age and gender characteristics of the ORS and ORS image «in peer-eyed» are revealed. The results of empirical study of the perception patterns of school MA by contemporary Russian adolescents are discussed. Differences in the structure of the ORS of adolescents with different perceptions of the school MA were revealed. It is shown that for teenagers with the perception of the MA of the school as democratic, the most important are the communicative and activity personality traits with the significance of moral traits. Adolescents with the perception of the MA school as authoritarian or ambivalent above all appreciate the value of external characteristics and skills and least of all moral traits. The orienting role of the school MA as a system of rules, norms and values of the school community for the formation of the ORS image of a modern teenager in the context of the level model of the orienting activity (A.I. Podolsky) is proved. Keywords: adolescence, image of the reference peer, social situation of development, moral atmosphere