What makes a good mentor? who makes a good mentor? the views of year 8 mentees

Abstract

Mentoring schemes are being increasingly used with young people, both in and out of schools, for a variety of purposes. In relation to cross-age mentoring in school, a recent review of research suggests that we need to know more about how mentoring works and, in particular, about the social dimensions of the mentoring relationship. In this article we look at a pilot mentoring scheme which was developed by teachers in a secondary school in response to concerns about students in year 8 – a year when commitment to learning can begin to drift. The design of the scheme made it possible to compare year 8 students’ views of year 12 students and teachers as mentors – and their judgement of the qualities that make a good mentor. The evaluation described here was used as a basis for modifying the pilot scheme and launching a revised mentoring scheme.