This week a selected group of Year 11 students have started their mentoring sessions with senior leaders. Over the last 3 years we have developed a structured mentoring programme, using senior teachers to support, coach and guide students through the maze of revision techniques and practices. The sheer weight of knowledge demanded the new 9-1 GCSEs can seem daunting, especially as the pressure starts to increase. At this time of year, it is really starting to dawn on some students just how much work is needed, in order to be successful in the summer exams.
Mentoring is more than just revision however. A good mentor can help students to organsise their time, prioritize tasks and make the ‘daunting’ become manageable. I have 6 students and we have spent our first session, being honest about what we don’t know and ‘chunking up’ revision into realistic time frames. Meeting weekly, as last year, I hope to see less anxiety and more positivity through the coming weeks as we get busy and start achieving. As one high street brand says ‘Every little helps’.
I was also lucky enough to visit Masham primary school this week and deliver an assembly to yr6s. Although I have visited most primaries in our area, Masham had always escaped me for some reason, but I was made extremely welcome by the students and staff and spent a lovely afternoon talking to the children about our school and inviting them to our Open Evening next week. I would like to see far more work between primary and secondary schools, as I think we sometimes forget how much we have to learn from each other. I was particularly taken with the depth of literacy and reading in evidence at Masham and the quality of the children’s writing was superb. My thanks to Mrs Smart and Yr 6.
Finally, a colleague gave me a ‘positive diary’ this week. She told me to record at least one positive thing each day. I think I may have looked a tad stressed! Looking back on the week, students are the main theme of my positive comments, from opening doors and asking about my day, to responses during my teaching and general ‘trekking’ in and out of lessons. Much to be thankful for.
