mark_beckford

The Role of the Learning Mentor

This view of the role of the learning mentor is a personal one
and may be different to that of other individuals.

The role of Learning Mentor at Fairfax school is an extension of
the pastoral system. The Learning Mentor will work with
students that have been identified by heads of school as having
"barriers to their learning" and this in turn is affecting their
behaviour. The primary aim of the Learning Mentor is to attempt
to improve the attainment and conduct in lessons of the student
that they work with. The Learning Mentor will allow the heads of
school to attend to more urgent matters in and around school.

The learning Mentor will attempt to offer help and support to the
students that they are working with. That support could be
anything from providing somewhere quiet for that student to do
homework to being a spokes person for that student when
they've done well. All of this will be done through regular
meetings with the students. The Learning Mentor will also devise
an individual mentoring plan for the students they work with.
This will identify why they have been referred, targets for
improvement, a termly review of individual student's
performance and recommendations for future action.

As well as working with students to identify possible problems
that are affecting their learning, the Learning Mentor will report
back to and work closely with heads of school, parents and any
relevant outside agencies that may become involved in individual
cases. They will also be involved with monitoring the students
that they are working with. They will also give termly feedback
to the headteacher regarding the progress of the students that
are being mentored.

At Fairfax the Learning Mentor will also have to liase with the
head of the sixth form regarding the training of and the
matching of sixth form peer supporters and lower school
mentees. This support can be anything from helping a student
with homework to just being a friend or someone who is not a
member of staff to go to in times of need.

It is fair to say that the role of learning mentor at Fairfax school
is a very busy and challenging one.

Mark Beckford

Learning Mentor at Fairfax School.