Transcript Deploying Associates on the Isle of Wight

Sustaining Aimhigher Associates:
The challenges of mentoring in
schools
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
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
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)
Second smallest
county in England
Most
expensive
crossing in the
world (per km)
Rich and poor live
in same wards
236 square miles
140,000 residents
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.
29% Progression to
HE (HEFCE 2006),
compared
to 33% in Hampshire.
One general FE
college – little HE
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
Example session
Introduction to goal setting and action planning
1. Icebreaker (group-working)
2. What would you like to be
doing in…
3. Group creates SMART plan for
a learner, using the internet to
research the steps
4. 10-15mins individual 121
mentoring sessions / Fast
Tomato online questionnaire
5. Action plan for next meet
To hand:
•Agreed group ground rules
•Confidentiality agreement
•Paper, card, pens
•Logbooks
What would you like to be doing in ….
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.’
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?’
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.
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.
Any Questions?
Alan Evans – Aimhigher Associates Scheme National Coordinator
Rob Gresham – Aimhigher Hampshire & IoW Project Manager
[email protected]
Chris Jackson – Aimhigher Associates Project Officer
[email protected]
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’
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.’
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…’
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?