A guide to our Peer Mentor Training
The assembly video Y12 students watch at the start of the programme
We have been working with secondary schools across the country to deliver Mentor Training Journeys.
In its simplest terms, this means equipping a group of older pupils with the skills and knowledge required to peer mentor younger pupils in their school. These programmes aim to improve confidence and communication in both groups of pupils, whilst developing a stronger sense of school community through increased cross-year interactions. These skills are vital for both the older pupils as they think about their transition out of school, and the younger pupils as they transition into secondary school.
So, how does this work on the ground?
The programme can be broken down into the following four stages:
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We launch the programme to the older group of pupils through an assembly – either live if you’re close by or with this jazzy video. The pupils apply to take part, and the school selects the group of pupils who will be trained as peer mentors. We are very happy to help with the selection process if you’d like.
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A team of Oppidan mentors travel to the school to mentor and train the older pupils. This takes place in small groups over a series of three fast-paced interactive workshops: ‘Introduction to Mentoring’, ‘What Makes a Good Mentor?’ and ‘Hit the Ground Running’. Each session is one hour long, with one Oppidan mentor for every group of 8-10 students.
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Each school selects the group of younger pupils who will be mentored on the programme. With the older pupils now trained to be peer-mentors, each mentor received our ‘Mentoring Toolkit’ resource to help guide their mentoring sessions. Schools choose when these mentoring sessions take place according to your school timetable (e.g. breaktime, lunchtime or after school), with most schools running between 8-12 mentoring sessions.
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At the end of the programme, or at least after several mentoring sessions have taken place, our mentors return for the Mentor Reflection day. This takes place on a 1:1 format, with a 25-minute 1:1 session for each older pupil with an Oppidan mentor. Sessions reflect on the highlights and challenges of mentoring younger students, as well as on the skills that they have developed and how they plan to use them in the future. A personalised report is written for each student following the session.
