Working with learning mentors

Learning mentors support, motivate and

challenge pupils who are underachieving. They
help pupils overcome barriers to learning
caused by social, emotional and behavioural
problems.
Learning mentors need good listening skills
and an understanding of health and social
issues that affect children and young people's
development. The mentors mainly work with
children who experience 'barriers to learning',
including poor literacy/numeracy skills, under-
performance against potential, poor
attendance, disaffection, danger of exclusion,
difficult family circumstances and low self-
esteem. - DFES
 Role of the learning mentor
Support
Observer
Teacher

Professional
Friend
Target Setter

Role Model

Negotiator

Supporter
Assessor
 Working as a support teacher
• Identify focus students and deliver specific
objectives. – regular focused input identified on a
timetable.
• Team teaching with the teacher. Attends planning
meetings and then differentiates teachers plans
or provides additional resources to scaffold the
learning (word banks, larger print)
• Short term specialised intervention programs,
progress measured over a block of time, (eg,
Springboard to maths, Phonics, circle time).
Working as a role model/professional
friend! Did you find it
difficult to
concentrate in
• Ask questions don’t judge! class today? What
could we do to
• Be on time and prepared. help?

• Be flexible with working non structured times:

break time/lunchtime. I noticed you
appear sad since
• Feedback to the teachers. falling out with
Abdullah, do you
• Be impartial, stick to facts. think we can sort
things out
• Listen. together?

• Think holistically about supporting students -

Emotionally and physically well presented
students experience higher levels of success.
 Working as an assessor!
• Useful websites:
• http://www.syntheticphonics.com/burtreadingtestpag
e.htm Reading age assessment (free)
• http://www.sdqinfo.com Strengths and difficulties
questionnaire (free + free report generator!).
• http://www.humansnotrobots.co.uk/p/resources-
hub.html Use early identification sheets for
ADD/dyspraxia etc (free resources and links)
http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/SEN-Initial-
Checklists-6144453/
• Observations – observe a pupil for 10 minutes in
different aspects of a lesson – look every 10 seconds
and record what they are doing (factual)
 Writing targets and IEP’s
• Use assessments and observations to identify key
areas of weakness.
• Communicate this with teachers/parents
• Write SMART targets together, identifying who,
what, when, and how often. Keep written records
for review sessions.
• http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/SEN-
Strategy-Banks-6144464/
• IEP writer – create and print free IEP’s
• http://www.iepwriter.co.uk/
 Being Supportive!
Set up buddy
Give praise
systems

Set up reward Create a non

systems/special threatening
programs. environment – ok to
make mistakes.

Talk to
parents/teachers Don’t give up -find a
way to make it work
Give time