Blending Face to Face and Online Mentoring - Villier's Park Educational Trust

‘The Personal Element’: How The Villiers Park Scholars Programme

successfully blends face to face and online mentoring.

Jeremy Reynolds and Jo Counselljr/[email protected]

Registered Charity No. 225930

Brightside National Mentoring Conference Wednesday 11 September 2013

A national charity that helps able young people reach their full

academic potential and develop a passion for learning. We are

committed to fair access – our Scholars Programme sets out to

enable students from less advantaged backgrounds gain a

place at a leading university or other centre of excellence.

The Cambridge Centre

Helping young people with high potential to succeed regardless of their background

A programme to support able 14-19 students from less advantaged

backgrounds through partnership work with schools, colleges, universities, other third sector organisations, families and

the students themselves

The Scholars Programme addresses all factors that might impede a student’s success

The Scholar

classroom provision

virtual outreachreal outreach

Outside environment

Outsid

e sup

port

Real outreach• Stepping Stones to Excellence key skills residential courses at

Villiers Park• Masterclasses at local universities• Local single day workshops to broaden interests eg

journalism, philosophy• Subject specific residentials at Villiers Park in Year 12/13

Virtual outreach• Dedicated Scholars Programme Online Hub with IAG• 200 online extension activities covering 20 subjects• E-mentoring with current undergraduates (subject and

interest match)

Classroom Provision• Villiers Park Advisory Service team work in their schools and

colleges to develop the quality of everyday provision through action research, CPD and provision of resources

Outside support• Regular one-to-one and group meetings with a Learning

Mentor who also meets termly with a school liaison• Developing and monitoring of a Stepping Stones to Excellence

Action Plan

Outside environment• Workshops, helpline, consultancy, regular communication for

families

How does it all work?

Scholars

Villiers Park Central Team - oversee the whole project

Learning Mentors – support Scholars

in school and manage

ementoring

E-mentors- Provide a role model

for Scholars, inspire and inform about university;

give subject specific information

Brightside – run website and support the project

Top Tips for face-to-face mentoring• Provide a safe reflective space• Building rapport• Active listening• Flexibility• Be prepared – a few favourite staples• Sometimes - being is more important than

doing

Top Tips for E-mentoring• Short simple questions initially to build

rapport• Answering mentee’s questions • Finding interesting and positive examples• Keeping correspondence regular but not

overwhelming• Awareness of important times e.g. exams• Showing an interest (e.g. supplementary

questions)

I would absolutely be interested in being a mentor again next year- I have found it to

be a wonderful experience so far and would be very reluctant to give it up

It's worked well having people within the schools to speak to the mentee's as well as their online mentor- it's been a useful way

of making sure there's another line of communication if they don't reply. To be

honest, I can't think of any particular way to improve from this side of things- I think

everything is working really well :)

I have enjoyed the opportunity to help people and offer advice.

Just to say that I've really enjoyed being an ementor. Having a few issues with the students replying, but other than that, it's really

enjoyable!

I would love to continue as an ementor next year

I'd be willing to carry on ementoring, I have really

enjoyed it this year.

all the best with theprogramme: I believe what you

are doing is immensely noble and necessary, however, it says

as much about our flawed educational system, as it does

about your altruism.

I would be delighted to continue.

allow me to extend my genuine congratulations on establishing

such a successful and commendable enterprise as this

ementoring programme

I am absolutely passionate about all access schemes…

…I have come to see the immense importance of

encouraging people from all backgrounds to make the most

of their opportunities

“There's no way people would be thinking you're too stupid, and I know

that for two reasons. Firstly, they picked you to do this scheme because you ARE bright, and secondly because when you get an offer at university it

will be because they want you to study there! Never think that you're

less good than anyone else :)”

Questions

• Mentoring and school life/ work• Issues or problems & resolving them• Development over the year – you and

mentoring• Biggest help/ influence• This coming year• The practicalities of mentoring• During the mentoring sessions…