This year has seen the reintroduction of mentoring on Saturday mornings , with pairs of Lower Sixth students trained in supportive listening visiting Lower School tutor groups .
LOWER SCHOOL MENTORING to run ‘ Talk Time ’ – one-to-one conversations with their tutees , on a rolling basis , allowing them to get to know each individual tutee better , and also to hear any concerns or suggestions they have .
Jon Lidiard , Deputy Head Pastoral
We volunteered to become mentors for the Lower School , attended a training session at the start of the school year and had weekly meetings to plan . However , in the Sixth Form , there aren ’ t many opportunities for us to interact with the Lower School , so the idea of leading a tutor group session was quite intimidating .
This year has seen the reintroduction of mentoring on Saturday mornings , with pairs of Lower Sixth students trained in supportive listening visiting Lower School tutor groups .
“ I like how they answer questions and make us question ourselves , and using anonymous questions was a fun way to think about our futures .”
Lower School mentee
These student-led sessions during tutor time have provided an opportunity for Lower School students to engage with and learn from their peers in the Sixth Form , while covering a number of topics focusing on character and mindset . Impressively , the sessions have been devised by the students themselves , with the Mentoring Support Group , comprised of four super-keen Sixth Formers , leading weekly review and preparation sessions for the team of mentors .
I have been really impressed with the mentors ’ dynamism , courage ( in standing up and leading sessions ) and commitment to the programme .
Lower School students have appreciated the opportunity to connect with older students ( and hear from someone whose experience is a little more akin to their own !), while the mentors have benefited hugely from being placed in charge of a group and being able to pass on their wisdom and make a difference to the lives of their Lower School counterparts . These sessions have also enabled tutors
It was really reassuring to lead the session with a partner as we were able to bounce ideas off each other . While nerve-racking , I slowly got more confident when I realised that most of them were engaged in what we were saying ; they asked a lot of questions .
One of the more memorable sessions for me was when we gave them the opportunity to ask us anything . Since they were completely anonymous , I was quite surprised by the academic focus of the questions . Some questions included which subjects they should study , how they should choose extracurricular options etc . There were also more light-hearted questions , such as how we would rank the boarding houses and what our favourite foods were . One of the questions that surprised us the most was ‘ Why does crime exist ?’. I may have thought of that question when I was younger , but I wouldn ’ t have thought to ask it in this context . Even after this session , the questions continued , and it was good to see that they weren ’ t afraid to ask us about anything . Their enthusiasm encouraged me to share more of my own opinions and made the sessions more enjoyable .
Having listened to similar talks from older students in the past , it felt strange to be the ones presenting instead . However , it was a valuable experience and I hope the Lower Sixth next year will find it as rewarding as we did .
Natalie Chan , Lower Sixth
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