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MENTORING
AT KS3
What is a mentor ?
- A friend
- A Guide
- A listener
- Someone you can trust
- Like an older brother or sister
This particular scheme was devised to enable Year 9 students to
train as Mentors to support new Year 7 students on transfer to Senior
School. The scheme has subsequently been used with a variety of
age groups as required by individual schools. Whilst the training
programme is written to take place over several sessions it can
be condensed to meet with individual school timetables.
Once trained Mentors can give support in a variety of ways that
can include use in the following situations:
- Support to students on Induction Day
- Visits to primary schools
- Support during first day at Senior School
- Tutor group responsibility – involving sharing of Tutor period
and Personal and Social Education periods
- New Parents Evenings
- Visitors to school
- Paired reading
- Anti-bullying initiatives
- New students transferring during the school year
- Assisting access to school clubs and building friendship circles
- Supporting confidence building in students with low self esteem
- Targeted support to students perceived as vulnerable
Mentoring raises students awareness of some of the key elements
of citizenship and potentially adds to their ability to cope in
adulthood.
AIMS
- To build on existing support for Year 7 students on entry to
senior school
- To develop and enhance the skills of older students to enable
them to act as mentors/positive role models for Year 7 students.
OBJECTIVES
- To provide for Year 7 students, in addition to form tutors a
group of older students from whom they can seek advice, guidance
and support.
- To provide mentors who will receive training and support (initially
and ongoing).
- To establish a good system of communication between mentors,
form tutors/school staff/other involved services, and ensure that
any issues of concern raised by Year 7 students can be dealt with
appropriately.
- To set up an evaluation system.
OUTCOMES
New students
- Gain mentor support
- Have stress of initially settling into school reduced thereby
enabling them to work more effectively
- Are given a feeling of belonging/security
- Aided in relationships/building confidence
- Provided with opportunities to work as mentors in later school
years having gained an understanding of the value of mentoring
Mentors
- Undertake a certificated training course for inclusion in their
Record of Achievement
- Increase their interpersonal, decision making and listening
skills
- Are challenged
- Are aided in relationship building, confidence and self esteem
- Given status and responsibility
School
- Increases support to Year 7’s
- Increases inter personal skills of mentors
- Informs future projects/policies
- Is a selling point which has been seen as attractive to feeder
primary schools and parents on new pupils
Involved Agencies (i.e. Education Welfare, Youth Service)
- Strengthens working relationships between agencies and schools
- Have a better understanding of young peoples needs and
issues
- Knowledge to inform future planning and policies
- A raised profile of agencies
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