Member Event: Business Mentor Event

Our programme is based on the simple proposition that young people will succeed if they are supported by those who are already successful.

Objectives

At NWHS we aim to provide a package of opportunities to raise the aspirations of our young people, and close the gap between those aspirations and their attainment.

Our mentoring programme is designed to provide positive role models for our students. We want them to be inspired, motivated, confident, and full of self-belief. We need to develop their ‘soft skills’ to improve their long-term employment prospects, because the latest research shows that this has huge benefits for both students and employers in the medium and long term.

Target students

We believe that all of our students will benefit from mentoring, and it should be an entitlement for all, rather than just our weakest or least motivated students. Limited aspirations, low confidence, a weak sense of personal urgency and a limited understanding of career opportunities are shared across all ability levels.

Schoolbackground

The last OFSTED report graded the school as ‘Good’.

They gave this context:

* This school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.

*The proportion of students who are disabled or who have special educational needs is average.

* The proportion of students for whom the school receives the pupil premium is average. This is additional government funding for students who are eligible for free school meals and those in local authority care.

* The number of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below average, as is the proportion who speak English as an additional language. Nearly all of the student population is White British.

*The school meets the current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for the attainment and progress of students.

How our scheme works

Our Year 9 students (13-14 year olds) attend a Speed Networking event in February, which is their opportunity to hear from potential mentors about a wide range of potential careers. They go into this session briefed and eager to find out about careers and options for their futures. At the end of the session we ask them to choose someone they have interacted well with during the session who has inspired them. This person then acts as their mentor for the following 2 years.

Over the course of year 10 and 11, the students meet their mentors regularly. We ask that the mentors commit to an average of one meeting per half term – if each meeting lasts an hour, that is 10 hours over the 2 years.

The meetings happen at the convenience of the mentor. Our school day runs from 08.30 to 14.50- so most meetings happen at 08.30, which allows mentors to schedule it without losing a working day.

How can you get involved?

We offer a package of training to get our mentors involved. All need to complete a DBS check and basic safeguarding training to be able to work with our students.

We provide a pack of activities for our mentors to use, but all are actively encouraged to use their own professional expertise. Many have taken students out on workplace and other visits, to provide a range of experiences which a school could not hope to supply. We aim to facilitate these experiences, and actively support our mentors in arranging them.

When you want to see your mentees, you simply let the Pastoral Assistant know when you want to come in. They will check that a visit won’t clash with another timetabled event (exams, trips, fixtures etc) and book a suitable room, inform students and arrange any other equipment required.

To register your interest:

Volunteer for our Speed Networking Launch on Friday 12th February

More info? Sign up?

Email Kate Lawn klawn52rf@nsix.org.uk or call 01692 402 581

or Paul Clark pclark8nrm@nsix.org.uk 0790 407 3312