Mentoring Case Studies

Volunteer Mentoring at West Leeds High School by Julie Lawton from Deloitte and Touche

Background

Leeds Mentoring is an integral part of Education Leeds Excellence Challenge school improvement initiative. Excellence Challenge targets 14 – 19 year old High school and college students who have ability but may lack the motivation or drive to achieve their full potential. Targeted students have the ability to
a) achieve at least 5 grades A – C GCSE passes
b) to progress to Post 16 education and onto University.

Volunteer Mentors are identified and support the student for a minimum of one year. They are matched with individual underachieving students and one to one quality mentor support is provided. Action planning and target setting provides the focus for progression and achievement.

Julie Lawton is an administrator with Deloitte & Touche in Leeds. Her involvement in mentoring is part of Deloitte’s community investment programme. Nationally 200 members of Deloitte’s staff support similar mentoring schemes across the country. Staff are given time off work and are encouraged to participate as part of their own personal development. A recent annual survey of their mentors found that 90% would recommend it to colleagues. In the 2002 Leeds Mentoring Celebration event the Lord Mayor of Leeds presented Julie at the Civic Hall with the “Mentor of The Year” award for services to education

West Leeds High School is situated in the Armley area of Leeds. It identified a group of Year 10 (15 year old) students who it felt would benefit from mentoring. Jenny Manley, Nicola Stewart, Amy Ayling and Clare Harrison were assigned Julie Lawton as their mentor in September 2000. They were each predicted to achieve between 3-4 GCSE passes at Grades A – C. The school however, felt that a mentor might help them to achieve more.

Evaluation

After two years of mentoring, Jenny, Amie, Nicola and Claire all achieved 9 – 11 GCSE Grades A – C. Julie had motivated and challenged them and made them believe in themselves.

Julie’s story

“Initially I met my students once a month but as our relationship developed meetings became weekly. During the first meetings I worked to establish the mentees learning needs and then drew up a programme to help them gain confidence and believe in themselves. It was the first time I had mentored 4 students at once but it worked very well. Targets were negotiated as a group and we all supported each other. The strengths were working as a team (Together Everyone Achieves More) and mutually supporting each other. Bonds and friendships soon developed and the students soon saw me as an equal.

They were all at the same academic level and I felt that they wanted to achieve and were grateful that I could provide them with some quality time. They very soon became totally committed and attended every mentor meeting. They each gave each other mutual support and this was very rewarding. As a mentor I encouraged the girls to talk and explored what they wanted. Rewards included shopping trips, off site visits to Deloitte & Touche, local colleges and Universities. These created strong bonds and helped raise aspirations. It also enabled me to set realistic targets which they could work towards.

The students did me proud, I am so pleased for them. Mentoring has meant so much to me. It has made me reflect on what I have done and achieved – I am now a school governor and want to become a teacher. I would also like to thank Alexis Dean (West Leeds lead Learning Mentor) for all the support she has given. Because of mentoring I am a better person and have developed a range of new personal development skills. It also opened doors to a Mentoring Diploma and studying for a degree. I am so grateful I have been given the chance to put something back to the community.”

Students’ story

Jenny and Nicola are in the 6th form at West Leeds, Amy and Clare are studying in local Further Education colleges and all want to go to University.

Jenny “The highlight was our visits to local colleges and – this raised my aspirations and made me realise how important it was to achieve 5 grade A – C GCSE grades. Julie stressed the serious nature of achievement and how it opens doors – she always stretched us and I was really proud to achieve for Julie. I did it for her. She was an inspiration. I can never repay her for what she has done and how much it has changed my life.”

Nicola “Julie gave me the confidence and challenged me to turn a predicted grade G into a grade C – I did and would never have achieved this without Julie’s support. I would not have attended the after school revision classes without the support of Julie and the others. Mentor support was better than learning because there were only the 4 of us and Julie made learning so much fun. “

Jenny and Nicola are now being trained by Leeds Mentoring to become mentors. They will provide encouragement and mentor support to other students at West Leeds. “We would like to inspire our mentees in the same way that Julie has inspired us”

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