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Mentor Period

The central purpose of Mentor Period is to contribute to each student's personal development across their time at Highworth, in line with the school’s REACH ethos. As part of the vertical tutoring system this will include developing each student's identity as part of their Learning Community.

Mentor Period is conducted on a daily basis for 25 minutes. Each Mentor Group is led in an activity by their Mentor, which follows a planned termly overview, to ensure consistency of student experience across each Learning Community. Students are expected to participate in these sessions as they would in any lesson.


Aims of Mentor Period

Core Aims of Mentor Period

Reflective, creative and innovative

To explore issues in the wider world in order to become more informed of relevant community, national and global events

Eager for life-long learning

To develop character traits that enable students to be resilient in the face of obstacles such as leadership, initiative, responsibility and problem solving

Aiming to achieve their full potential

To establish and re-evaluate ambitious goals of both an academic and personal nature in order to encourage self-reflection and self-discipline

Considerate, confident, independent individuals

To develop positive relationships with peers across different ages, growing the necessary skills to collaborate with and learn from others

Happy in a caring, respectful community

To participate in Learning Community and whole-school activities, contributing positively to the wider life of the school, and encouraging others to do so


Content of Each Session

Each term has a key theme, decided by the Directors of Learning. Students may also contribute to Mentor Period through their roles as Prefects, Community Coaches or as part of the Student Equality Team.

Themes will link to broader PSHE themes of Living in the Wider World, Relationships and Health and Wellbeing.  As indicative examples, themes may be based on: Global Awareness Days e.g. European Day of Languages; school events e.g. Children's Mental Health Week; supporting mental and physical wellbeing; our school’s SIRIUS Careers programme; promoting cultural diversity e.g. Black History Month or school culture days.


Mentor Themes for 2023-24

Term 1

Mentor tasks

Personal Development

Rationale

Assembly themes

Week 1 (4th Sept)

Noticeboards/ LC day follow on

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- working as a team, learning about the local community, leadership skills

 

PSHE- Wider World, Relationships

 

SMSC - social

Building relationships with peers and mentor 

 

Establishing mentor identity

  • Good habits

  • European Day of Languages (26th Sept)

  • Black History Month (October)

  • Safety

2 (11th Sept)

Noticeboards/ LC day follow on

3 (18th Sept)

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

Considerate confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- taking responsibility for personal mental health and wellbeing

 

PSHE- Health and Wellbeing

 

SMSC - spiritual

Wellbeing theme for this term-  ‘Snack, Sleep, Chill’

 

Re-focus day allows revisiting of previous PSHE content (interleaving)

4 (25th Sept)

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

5 (2nd Oct)

Black History Month Project (Literature)

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Reflective, creative and innovative

 

Eager for life-long learning

 

Character development- awareness of others, societal/ historical knowledge and awareness

 

Literacy skills

 

PSHE- Wider World, Relationships (equality and diversity)

 

SMSC - moral. social, spiritual & cultural

British Values - respect & tolerance

Coincides with National Black History Month (October)

 

Celebration of diversity

 

Encourages engagement with a range of literature

6 (9th Oct)

Black History Month Project (Literature)

7 (16th Oct)

Black History Month Project (Literature)

 

Plant Growing Competition

 

Term 2

Mentor tasks

Personal Development

Rationale

Assembly themes

1 (6th Nov)

Kindness Project

 

Friday 10th November- Asian Society running Culture Day (Diwali)

Considerate confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- awareness of others, relationships, positive moral attributes, positive impact on society

 

PSHE- Relationships, Health and Wellbeing, Wider World

 

SMSC - social, moral, cultural, spiritual

 

British Values - democracy, respect & tolerance

Wellbeing theme this term- ‘Kindness, Connection and Relationships’

 

Forming positive relationships with the community

  • Remembrance

  • KYCC elections

  • Traditions

  • Living with a disability 

  • Last day of term- Christmas assembly

2 (13th Nov)

Kindness Project

3 (20th Nov)

Kindness Project

4 (27th Nov)

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

Considerate confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community.

 

Character development- taking responsibility for personal mental health and wellbeing

 

PSHE- Health and Wellbeing

 

SMSC - spiritual

Wellbeing theme this term- ‘Kindness, Connection and Relationships’

 

Re-focus day allows revisiting of previous PSHE content (interleaving)

5 (4th Dec)

(Panto)

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

6 (11th Dec)

Quiz of the Year

Community Christmas Party 

Design Christmas Card/ Decoration

Considerate confident, independent individuals.

 

Reflective, creative and innovative

 

Eager for life-long learning

 

Character development- developing curiosity and seeking improvement, creative solutions to problems.

 

PSHE- links to Wider World, Relationships

 

SMSC - spiritual, social. 

Building community spirit and developing community relationships

 

Term 3

Mentor tasks

Personal Development

Rationale

Assembly themes

1 (1st Jan)

How Things Are Made Project

Reflective, creative and innovative

 

Eager for life-long learning

 

Aiming to achieve their full potential

 

Character development- challenging beliefs, building confidence in presentation skills, developing teamwork and leadership.

 

PSHE- links to Wider World

 

SMSC - social

Wellbeing theme this term- ‘Think, Watch, Doubt’

 

Opportunity to develop essential skills 

 

Opportunity to develop mentor relationships

  • Safety

  • Plants

  • Childrens’ Mental Health Week (5th-11th Feb)

2 (8th Jan)

How Things Are Made Project

3 (15th Jan)

How Things Are Made Project

4 (22nd Jan)

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

Considerate confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- taking responsibility for personal mental health and wellbeing

 

PSHE- health and wellbeing

 

SMSC - spiritual

Wellbeing theme this term- ‘Think, Watch, Doubt’

 

Re-focus day allows revisiting of previous PSHE content (interleaving)

5 (29th Jan)

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

6 (5th Feb)

Dilemmas, Quizzes and Debates 

 

Chinese Culture Day (Feb 9th) 

Eager for life-long learning

 

Considerate confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- resolving conflict, listening to the point of view of others, respecting others, British values, learning about the world around them, developing cultural awareness

 

PSHE- links to Wider World and Relationships

 

SMSC - cultural, social, moral

British Values - respect & tolerance

Building community spirit and developing community relationships

 

Exploring new concepts/ topics

 

Term 4

Mentor tasks

Personal Development

Rationale

Assembly themes

1 (19th Feb)

Childrens’ Book Project

Reflective, creative and innovative

 

Considerate confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- respecting and considering others, working with others in a range of social situations, reflect on and consider solutions to problems, celebrating diversity

 

PSHE- links to Wider World and Relationships

 

SMSC - social, moral, cultural, spiritual

 

British Values - respect & tolerance, democracy

Building links with the local community

 

Opportunity to develop creative problem solving

 

Opportunity to teach others what they have learned

  • Senior Prefect Team Voting

  • World Book Day (7th March)

  • International Women's Day (8th March) 

2 (26th Feb)

Childrens’ Book Project

3 (4th Mar)

Childrens’ Book Project

Dilemmas, Quizzes and Debates

4 (11th Mar)

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

Considerate confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- taking responsibility for personal mental health and wellbeing

 

PSHE- Health and Wellbeing

 

SMSC - spiritual

Wellbeing theme this term- ‘Emotions, Lifeline, Music’

 

Re-focus day allows revisiting of previous PSHE content (interleaving)

5 (18th Mar)

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

6 (25th Mar)

Dilemmas, Quizzes and Debates 

Eager for life-long learning

 

Considerate confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- resolving conflict, listening to the point of view of others, respecting others, British values, learning about the world around them, developing cultural awareness

 

PSHE- links to Wider World and Relationships

SMSC - moral, social, cultural

 

British Values - respect & tolerance

Building community spirit and developing community relationships

 

Exploring new concepts/ topics

 

Term 5

Mentor tasks

Personal Development

Rationale

Assembly themes

1 (15th April)

Nature Project

 

Nepali Culture Day (Fri 19th April)

Reflective, creative and innovative

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- creativity, positive engagement with the natural world, working together with others, having a positive impact

 

PSHE- Links with Wider World and Relationships

 

SMSC - social, moral, spiritual, cultural

Wellbeing theme this term- ‘Breathe, Flex, Paint’ (links to creativity element of this project)

 

Encouraging students to engage positively with nature

 

Appropriate time of year for outdoor/ outdoor related activities

  • Natural Disasters

  • National Volunteering Week (21st-27th April)

  • Safety

2 (22nd April)

Nature Project

3 (29th April)

Nature Project

4 (6th May) Bank holiday

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

Considerate, confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- taking responsibility for personal mental health and wellbeing

 

PSHE- Health and Wellbeing

 

SMSC - spiritual

Wellbeing theme this term- ‘Breathe, Flex, Paint’

 

Re-focus day allows revisiting of previous PSHE content (interleaving)

5 (13th May)

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

6 (20th May)

Dilemmas, Quizzes and Debates (DFR)

 

World Day of Cultural Diversity (Tuesday 21st May)

Eager for life-long learning

 

Considerate confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- resolving conflict, listening to the point of view of others, respecting others, British values, learning about the world around them, developing cultural awareness

 

PSHE- links to Wider World and Relationships

 

SMSC - moral, social, cultural

 

British Values - respect & tolerance

Building community spirit and developing community relationships

 

Exploring new concepts/ topics

 

Term 6

Mentor tasks

Personal Development

Rationale

Assembly themes

1 (3rd June) SDD on 3rd

Food Project

 

World Environment Day (Wed 5th June)

Considerate confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- building positive moral attributes, having a positive impact on the world, looking after physical wellbeing, consideration of others

 

PSHE- link to Wider World, Wellbeing and Relationships

 

SMSC - spiritual, social, moral, cultural

Wellbeing theme for this term- Gratitude

  • Pride

  • Summer Solstice (20th June)

  • Global Cultures Day (5th July)

  • Summer Safety

2 (10th June)

Food Project

3 (17th June)

Food Project

4 (24th June)

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

Considerate confident, independent individuals.

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- taking responsibility for personal mental health and wellbeing

 

PSHE- Health and Wellbeing

 

SMSC - spiritual

Wellbeing theme for this term- Gratitude

 

Re-focus day allows revisiting of previous PSHE content (interleaving)

5 (1st July)

Wellbeing fortnight:

  • SWAP session

  • Reconnect

  • Wellbeing information

  • Refocus day

6 (8th July)

Dilemmas, Quizzes, Debates


 

Eager for life-long learning

 

Considerate confident, independent individuals

 

Happy in a caring, respectful community

 

Character development- resolving conflict, listening to the point of view of others, respecting others, British values, learning about the world around them, developing cultural awareness

 

PSHE- links to Wider World and Relationships

 

SMSC - social, moral, cultural

Building community spirit and developing community relationships

 

Exploring new concepts/ topics

7 (15th July)

Summer Celebrations

   

The Role of the Mentor

The role of the Mentor is to facilitate each student's personal development across their time at Highworth, in line with the school’s REACH ethos. Being a Mentor is a key part of our vertical tutoring Learning Community system whereby personal development is encouraged through learning from and collaboration with others.