North Walsham High School Business Mentoring Scheme
Work Based Learning at NWHS Who am I? What do I do? What do we do at NWHS?
Activity 1 Who inspires you?
What is Mentoring? ‘Mentoring tends to focus on the future, and broader skills for personal or career development’. In 2004, David Clutterbuck, an academic who studied mentoring relationships, coined an acronym for what mentors do: Manage the relationship Encourage Nurture Teach Offer mutual respect Respond to the learner's needs Read more at: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/mentoring.html
Broader Curriculum National Curriculum School Curriculum Broader Curriculum Extra Curriculum Activities Duke of Edinburgh Award Mentoring National Curriculum
What does Mentoring give NWHS? The aim of the Mentoring Scheme is to: Increase their self-confidence Gain experience of the working world Broaden their horizons and raise aspirations Improve their ‘soft skills’ and employability skills To support their academic performance Students are assigned a Mentor from Year 9 to Year 11 who meet with their group a minimum of once a term.
How does it link with the Gatsby Benchmarks? The mentoring scheme at NWHS links to Benchmark 5, ‘Encounters with Employers and Employees’ ‘Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes’.
The Mentoring Scheme at NWHS All students are briefed on the Mentoring Scheme during an assembly. Each student completes a ‘Student Profile’ questionnaire. Parents/carers complete the ‘Inspire to Aspire -Parent/Carer Questionnaire’
Recruiting for Mentors A Business Breakfast is organised for networking and promoted through: Inspiring the Future Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Local Media – EDP, North Norfolk News, Just Regional Social Media such as Facebook, Twitter, our school website. Inviting previous and current mentors to join take on another group Word of mouth
Speed Networking Event Planned near to Valentines day and is similar arrangement as ‘speed dating’. Students get allocated time in groups of 4 to go round and talk to mentors. Students are asked to plan at least 3 questions in form time before the event. Each students is given a folder with their questions in and their named priority 1, 2 or 3 cards. Mentors have their own cards to write down any notes or anyone who has made an impression on them.
The Selection Process At the end of the speed networking, each student hands out their 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice cards to the mentors. Mentors then keep them in a wallet and hand them to me at the end. Mentors then advise on how many students they would be happy to have in their group.
The Allocation Process An excel spreadsheet is used to record each student’s 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices – it takes hours! All students are notified via an individual letter. Mentors are emailed with student names and confirmation of training dates.
Training and DBS checks ALL mentors receive a mentor pack and training, this covers: Ice breaker ideas for sessions Child Protection and Safeguarding What activities we suggest are covered Behaviour, expectation of the student and qualities of a good mentor ALL mentors are DBS checked.
A planned programme What do the mentors do? Examples include: Employability skills such as communication, team work, self-management. Support in finding work experience, how to approach employers and preparing for placements. Starting CV’s. Interview skills and techniques. Life after school – college, university. What are the options?
Evaluation Spring term students in year 11 are sent a survey to evaluate their experience. Mentors are also sent a survey in Spring term to evaluate their experience. Data is used to compare groups who have had a mentor and those who haven’t, to see the impact on performance.
Do you have any ideas about how I can evidence the impact? Can you help? Do you have any ideas about how I can evidence the impact?
Any Questions?