STUDENT MENTORING / PEER MENTORING
Learning Mentor / Peer mentoring co-ordinator: Dave Clayton

The concept of mentoring has increasingly been adopted by schools in the UK as an effective means of supporting students in their academic studies and their school life; identifying ‘barriers to learning’ and helping students to reach their full potential. The learning mentor will work with students who are identified by other members of staff as needing some extra help in school; this may be to do with homework, behaviour, peer/social issues, absenteeism, or learning difficulties. The work of the learning mentor is that of short-term intervention, working with students on a 1 to 1 basis, helping them to achieve a specific, pre-determined goal.

Peer mentoring is all about older students who have ‘been there’ and ‘done that’ using their experiences to help younger students in school. Peer mentors are drawn from Year 10 and receive professional training for which they are awarded an Open College Network mentoring qualification at level one. They also have the opportunity to go on to a team-building weekend at one of the local youth hostels.

Peer mentoring contributes to the National Healthy School standard. See www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk