Sustaining Aimhigher Associates: The challenges of mentoring in schools

1. Sustaining Aimhigher Associates: The challenges of mentoring in schools

2. What is the Associates Scheme (1)? • Rationale To promote the progression of learners from socially deprived areas to the full range of university provision in the UK • What is an Associate? Undergraduate students, recruited to provide learners with extended support and guidance in progressing to HE • Structure and numbers involved 42 Aimhigher Partnership Areas 120 universities 600 schools 4,000 associates 19,000 learners

3. What is the Associates Scheme (2)? • Organisation Overall management of the project by HEFCE National Coordination Team (NCT) – Cardiff University • Role of the NCT Progress Review meetings Area partnership visits Quality assurance Monthly monitoring Manual of Guidance Associates Handbook National Training Standards • Funding £21m from Department of Business, Innovation and Skills/HEFCE Pathfinder Phase 2008/09 - £3.4m National Phase – 2009-2011 - £8.8m + £8.8m

7. Hants/IOW summary: 2010-11 • Target: 613 learners (160 associates) • 20 schools, 1 Academy - across 4 LAs • Devolved model of delivery – 4 HEIs each responsible for recruitment and deployment • Focus on Year 9 (choices/transitions) and Year 10 (study skills/revision)

8. Second smallest county in England Isle of Wight Average pay for full time jobs on the Island was £444 compared to £583 in the South East. (2007, CofC), which is 20-25% lower then SE avg. Most expensive crossing in the world (per km) Rich and poor live in same wards 29% Progression to HE (HEFCE 2006), compared to 33% in Hampshire. 236 square miles 140,000 residents One general FE college – little HE

9. The Isle of Wight Aimhigher Associates Scheme Up to 10 undergraduate Associates per school (avg.) cohort of 32 year 9 &/ 10s. A school’s allocated Associates visit on the same weekday, running sessions simultaneously. Session duration: Two hours Session frequency: every two – three weeks from November to March, not including holidays. Associates are paid £6.15 per hour

10. Example session Introduction to goal setting and action planning • Icebreaker (group-working) • What would you like to be doing in… • Group creates SMART plan for a learner, using the internet to research the steps • 10-15mins individual 121 mentoring sessions / Fast Tomato online questionnaire • Action plan for next meet What would you like to be doing in …. 5 years 2 years 1 year 1 month • To hand: • Agreed group ground rules • Confidentiality agreement • Paper, card, pens • Logbooks

11. Figures and feedback 2009 - 2010 87% students gained a higher predicted grade for attainment  at the end of the Associates programme than before. 77% students gained either the same or higher in their Attitude to Learning grade. Learner feedback ‘I gained a better understanding of the jobs and careers available, gave me more confidence in what i wanted to do and also the chance to get see a university from a new uni student’s view.’ ‘I learnt how to be confident and how to be organised I learnt that I shouldn't be shy because then I won't find things out I also found that I learn better when I listen to music.’

12. Learner parent, Ryde High School - ‘ I can confirm indeed that _____ found it extremely positive and encouraging to her school work and her future chances at University to be involved in this AIM HIGHER project. She came back veritably BUZZING on the last day, after they had visited Southampton Solent, declaring that she had found her true calling and 'now wanted to go to University!'.  We were thrilled by that and she really liked her mentor. So all very good things and a really useful exercise.  Is it continuing?’

13. Working with IoW High Schools • Work solely with and on island, therefore able to fill the gap in Aimhigher contact. • Using existing contacts • LEA have more time and involvement • Cost of travel; overcome by running sessions simultaneously • Timings; School day & Academic year • Isolation, resulting in: • Restricted educational choice • Many children have not left the Island • Poor aspiration levels due to lack of stimulation, family unemployment.

14. Resulting impact of the challenges; • The programme’s delivery is restricted to simultaneous sessions on a set day of the week for each school resulting in learners missing the same subjects. • The learners require longer interventions to equal the development of mainland learners due to restricted knowledge and experience caused by island isolation.

15. Any Questions? Alan Evans – Aimhigher Associates Scheme National Coordinator Rob Gresham – Aimhigher Hampshire & IoW Project Manager Robert.Gresham@winchester.ac.uk Chris Jackson – Aimhigher Associates Project Officer Chris.Jackson@solent.ac.uk

16. Considering the imminent reduction in funding, how could we better prepare undergraduates to mentor? Our Training: • 14 hour 2 day intensive, skills development training • 63 Associates trained, 53 deployed. • £200 per head • Establishing and building the relationship, child protection, Listening, Questioning and Feedback, Emotional Intelligence, Study Skills, Managing Groups, Ementoring, Goal Setting and Action Planning. • Feedback: ‘was very useful, gave me an insight of how to deal with the youngsters,’ ‘…the most influential part of this was the trainers themselves’

17. Has e-mentoring worked for you? If so, how? Is there a better way to communicate remotely? (whilst maintaining essential monitoring) • 22% Associates didn’t participate. Quantity of emails sent ranges up to 45 with 73% sending below 10 emails. • Issues with learners: • access to a computer/internet at school/home • not currently using email to communicate (MSN/Facebook) • Learners not grasping the necessity of email in current adult life (will this change in 5 years?) • Emails that are sent are very short and chatty • ‘The actual site itself was fine, but getting students to participate was a challenge. They often excused themselves by saying they didn’t have net access at home or in spare time at school.’

18. How can we best use the added value of undergraduate development to secure funding beyond July 2011?? Research into the pathfinder (trial) year of the scheme proved that undergraduates reasons for taking part are: 1.CV 2. CPD 3.Income (Altruism makes an appearance a lot later) ‘ The Mentoring sessions where extremely helpful for me as they gave a chance to demonstrate and put into practice all my learning from my previous years of education and the learning from my mentors and teachers. … These sessions have really made me a different person all together.’ ‘…Also my time management skills was improved. My communication skills and being able to set my own, and others targets were developed and I found that this was a valuable aspect of the programme. I found the experience at times to be very rewarding with a sense of worthwhile and purpose…’

19. Food for thought… sustaining the Associates Scheme ‘I think it would be a good idea if this experience could be repeated later in their school years to encourage them again to think seriously about university - perhaps in year 11?’ Learner Parent; Christ the King College, IoW • How can we develop the scheme to reflect imminent cuts in funding? • How do we prove the impact of Aimhigher in an environment saturated with ‘enrichment’ activities?