Learning mentors

Mentoring is a relationship between an adult and a young person that provides the young person with consistent support, guidance, assistance and non-judgemental adult advice. Mentoring also gives adults the opportunity to be a positive role model for young people by sharing their knowledge, skills and life experiences.

You can find out more about learning mentors from the following sections:

• Mentoring in schools
• Becoming a learning mentor
• Becoming a business mentor
• Requesting a learning mentor

Mentoring in schools

Learning mentors provide extra support in schools to help children overcome any barriers to learning both inside and outside school, and thus to achieve their full potential.

Mentors work closely with teachers, classroom assistants and volunteers, and special needs assistants to identify children who are making less progress than their potential. Mentors also help to develop action plans for these children and then support them achieving their learning goals.

Mentors may work with children individually or with small groups. Most of their work involves working with these children to help them progress in the classroom or with other school activities, such as school outings. They may provide support in the playground, with school truancy, or with developing social skills.

Mentors also maintain contact with the children's family or carers to try and get support and involvement from them in meeting the child's needs and helping their progress.

Mentors often refer children they are supporting to other agencies, courses, organisations, activities or individuals for extra support. Referrals could be for example to the social and youth services, education welfare services, probation and careers services, out of school study support or to business and community voluntary mentors.

Mentors are also responsible for sharing information between all the different individuals and organisations involved in supporting the children they are mentoring.

Becoming a learning mentor

Tower Hamlets schools manage their own mentoring schemes and learning mentors are employed directly by the schools in Tower Hamlets.

Training is usually on the job, although occasionally outside training may be needed to address a particular need of the school, like cross-cultural issues for example.

Mentors need to have the skills and ability to:

• Be good at listening
• Have an understanding of children’s learning needs
• Have an understanding of health and social issues that affect children's development
• Have an understanding of the school curriculum
• Negotiate, plan and manage activities
• Form good relationships with young people and their families or carers and with a wide range of organisations
• Gain the confidence of children, schools, agencies and people in businesses and the community.

Mentors also need to have literacy and numeracy skills and GCSEs (grade A-C/ 1-3) or an equivalent qualification in English and maths may be required. Mentors may also be required to have a professional qualification in education, social work or nursing.

If you would like to become a learning mentor, then you will need to approach individual schools directly. Please refer to the list of Tower Hamlets schools.

Becoming a business mentor

For information on becoming a voluntary business mentor in Tower Hamlets schools, please contact:

Education Business Partnership
Sunley House
Toynbee Hall
28 Commercial Street
London
E1 6LF

Tel: 0207 377 9497

Requesting a learning mentor

Tower Hamlets schools manage their own mentoring schemes.

If you would like to make a request for a learning mentor for a child, then you will need to approach your local school directly.

Please refer to the list of Tower Hamlets schools.

Pid No: 627, 628