MENTOR PROGRAMME Guidance, motivation and support
Mentor groups within College’s 10 Houses are not new, but 2020 marks the start of their further development and enhancement for the good of every student. “It’s about building relationships between the boys and the staff in each House. It’s the mentor’s job to work with the 12–15 boys in their group in a holistic way,” says Matt Cortesi, Housemaster of Harper House and leader of the College mentor programme. “It’s about engaging the students, supporting them, guiding them and providing them with another important point of contact in their journey through College. This should help the Housemasters do their
job, as it creates another layer of communication between staff and the boys, so they can really flourish in our school.” Matt defines the key pillars of the mentor programme as being to: • build positive relationships and connections between staff and students • increase the level of engagement across all year levels • provide a platform to complement other College wellbeing initiatives • offer pastoral and academic monitoring and support whilst providing outstanding and effective role models for young men “The mentor role is an increasingly important touchpoint within the pastoral care system. It’s
an interactive and engaging environment where the mentors meet with their group for 30 minutes each week and do things together – play games, do quizzes, work on any activities and experiences focused on personal development and building relationships across year groups.” Ideally mentor group meetings are not a time spent online, in isolation, on phones, or in withdrawal settings. The point is to complement other initiatives across the school, including helping students identify their own character strengths. As well as the group aspect, House mentors also engage with their students in one-on-one discussions so they can keep an eye on each student’s wellbeing and offer pastoral support, check their academic progress and challenges, and monitor their personal and character development. “There has been a range of these kind of activities happening in Houses, but in the last few years the House mentor programme has had a clear and cohesive aim of further enhancement and development to have greater effect. We want every boy to see their House mentor as another person who has their holistic progress at heart and who is working towards them meeting their aspirations and strengthening their character traits.”
College Issue 38 2020
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