The following information clarifies the roles of parent, mentor, and student and the concepts that underpin academic mentoring.

The student is responsible for becoming increasingly more knowledgeable and indeed expert their own learning. Each student needs to know where they want to go in terms of learning success; know how they can best get there; and what they need to do and will do to reach their destination. This involves knowing working at levels and target grades; having the vocabulary to discuss learning and progress; knowing areas of strengths and areas for improvement and, most importantly, knowing that he is the major factor in deciding his success.

The parent, we hope, will be responsible for engaging with their child in conversations at home as well as in school about the learning progress that is being made – or possibly not!; what their child thinks about it, and what their child will do to further their success.

The mentor is responsible for generating in the student the capacity to think about and reflect upon his attitudes, commitment, learning progress, future targets and goals, strengths and areas for improvement.

Accordingly, in mentoring meetings questions will be addressed to the Learner.

There is, of course, a fourth partner in all of this – in fact multiple fourth partners. These are the subject teachers who must assist the student by written comments available in their planner, an on going dialogue to understand where exactly he is in his subject, where he can get to, and how he can get there. If any parent thinks that this information is not available in exercise books or the planner, would they please let me know.

Steve McKim

Senior Teacher