“Mentoringisa braintopick,an eartolistenanda pushintheright direction
”
What is mentoring?
The role of the mentor is one that is attracting a great deal of attention in educational research and literature as the value that it can bring within schools is increasingly recognised. As such you will see a variety of definitions and ideas expressed about what mentoring should look like, what skills a good mentor will have and exactly what a mentoring relationship should look like.
Here at Canford we see mentoring and coaching as part of a continuum of support and collaboration that can strengthen practice and enable colleagues to develop new skills.
Mentoring relationships are characterised by an ‘expert’ / ‘pupil’ dynamic where the ‘expert’ is a more experienced colleague who can share their knowledge with the ‘pupil’ who is new to a situation. Through sharing their expertise, the mentor is able to guide and support the mentee to develop their skills with a view to them becoming ‘independent’.
Coaching differs from mentoring in that there is no need for the coach to be an ‘expert’ as the relationship is not about the sharing of skills and knowledge but about guiding the coachee to find their own answers and solutions. This is achieved through careful questionning.
The diagram belows shows clearly how they are part of the same continuum.
For this course it will be necessary to take a mentoring approach as you will be working with a colleague who has little or no middle management experience and therefore you will be making suggestions and guiding them using your expertise in this area. As the course progresses you might feel that you are shifting towards a more coaching approach as their ability to solve their own challenges improves.
The mentor / mentee or coaching relationship is one that must have its foundation in trust. This must exist on both sides in order for the relationship to be successful. Both sides need to be able to speak freely and in confidence within these conversations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the role involve? You will be allocated one colleague to mentor through the course. We would expect that you meet with them at least twice each half term to offer advice, assist with assignments and help them develop their skill set. We hope that this will develop into an active relationship that both people will want to continue going forwards.
Am I involved in assessment? You will be asked to produce a short reflection about how well your colleague has engaged and developed over the course.
Am I involved in delivering the course? No, there is no requirement for mentors to deliver any element of the course. Some mentors may wish to support the delivery programme and there is no reason why an individual couldn’t do both.
Will I get training? Yes, mentoring training will be provided and will not be onerous in terms of a time commitment. There will be an initial training session during exam week in June and several consequent short sessions on particular elements. Course leaders will be available to advise on an ongoing basis.
What is in it for me? Mentoring colleagues is a valuable experience and this would be an excellent opportunity to develop your own skills if you are looking to progress to SLT. This is a whole school initiative so may also count towards HLPA.
Do I get any time to do this? Not as a general rule. Completing this would be part of your professional development in addition to your usual teaching commitments. That said, in some circumstances there may be some room for discussion.
Who can be a mentor?
Once the course participant numbers are clear, we will know how many mentors we will need. If you are interested in this role then please have a read through the information below and chat to Alex Boulton. If there is more interest than we have capacity for we may need to invite a short application outlining why you would like the role and what you think you would bring to it.
The relationship between mentor and mentee is an incredibly valuable one and it is important that colleagues are matched appropriately for this to be successful. We do not feel that it is necessary for colleagues to be within the same department for the purposes of this course. However colleagues who wish to put themselves forwards to be mentors will need to have at least 3 years of recent middle or senior management experience in order to be properly positioned to offer effective mentorship in this role.
Course content
This is divided into two sections. The first core section will be accessed by all participants and then they will choose which optional pathway they want to follow.
5 core strands
Leadership
Different styles of leadership
What does good leadership look like?
The ups and downs of being a leader
What does a good team look like?
Management
Budgeting
Prioritising
Preparing for inspection
Dealing with conflict / relationship management
Working with HR
Managing your own wellbeing
Effective recording
Behaviour management
Communication
Difficult conversations – parents, pupils, colleagues
Effective communication with all stakeholders
Coaching and mentoring
Driving improvement
Using data to promote progress
Managing change
Improving teaching and learning
How do you develop a plan for development and complete a SEF?
How can you assess and evaluate the efficacy of change?
Quality assurance
Appraisal, observations, learning walks etc.
Supporting SEND
Building my ‘middle leader trophy cabinet’ – improving your C.V., interview practice, demonstrating the skills you have
Academic Pathway option
Improving teaching and learning
Staying ahead of the pedagogical curve
Data deepdiving
Marketing and admissions
Exams
Safeguarding
Managing mental health
Managing transitions
Pastoral Pathway option
Managing a tutor and matron team
Safeguarding
Marketing and admissions
Event management
Reference writing
Mediation
Staffing, mode of delivery & assessment
Please be aware that the details may be subject to change
Core Strands
Module 1 – 3 weeks Oct to Nov 25
The up’s and down’s of being a leader
Module 2 – 8 weeks Nov 25 – Feb 26
Module 3 – 4 weeks March – April 26
Module 4 – 6 weeks May – June 26 Driving
Using
How do you develop a plan for improvement / complete a SEF
How can you assess and evaluate the efficacy of change?
Module 5 – 2 weeks June 26
Quality assurance
Appraisals, observations, learning walks
Selling yourself – building your middle leader ‘trophy cabinet’
Academic pathway
6 weeks Oct – Dec 26
Improving teaching & learning in the department
Staying ahead of the pedagogical curve
Data deep diving
Promoting progress in specific groups (SEN / EAL)
6 weeks Oct – Dec 26