Mentoring into higher education

Liz Ervine Springburn AcademyStrathclyde University research team: Alastair Wilson, Katie Hunter, Konstanze

Spohrer, Anna Beesley

Presentation:

• Background to the project• Why mentoring?• What does it do?• Does it work?• Future plans

Background

• Present work is result of a 7 year partnership between a large secondary school and researchers within the School of Education, University of Strathclyde.

• Researchers have worked on a range of projects and when possible helped with school development. Have developed a strong researcher/school collaboration.

• Basis of the work is to better understand the ‘attainment gap’ between socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged pupils.

• Major problem for Scottish education and particularly acute in major cities.

Some data:Springburn Academy

Glasgow City Scotland

Higher education 21% 28% 36%

St Ninian's High School

East Renfrews

hire ScotlandHigher

education 74% 61% 36%

Some data:CHART 7: SECONDARY PUPILS REGISTERED FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS BY GLASGOW NEIGHBOURHOOD

Neighbourhood

Pupils registered as entitled to free school

meals % Grand Total Glasgow Total

Easterhouse 234 44.7% 524 31.0%Parkhead & Dalmarnock 159 45.2% 352 31.0%Springburn 350 46.7% 750 31.0%Priesthill & Househillwood 268 48.1% 557 31.0%Drumchapel 335 48.8% 686 31.0%Sighthill, Roystonhill & Germiston 254 48.9% 519 31.0%Ruchill & Possilpark 286 51.8% 552 31.0%

Source: Glasgow City Council School Census Data, 2010

CHART 3: SECONDARY PUPILS REGISTERED FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS, SCOTTISH CITIES

Percentage of pupils registered for free school meals, 2006 to 2010Local Authority 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Glasgow City 31.8 30.9 29.6 26.7 29.8

Aberdeen City 8.8 8.5 7.8 7.6 8.2

Dundee City 10.9 20.0 19.3 19.2 22.1

Edinburgh, City of 13.2 12.5 12.4 11.9 12.4

Scotland 13.5 13.2 12.7 12.3 14.4

Why mentoring?• Research on successful young people friends, family - social networks

• Of 150 pupils in a 5th year group, 31 were identified by the school as ‘having the potential' to enter higher education’.

• Each pupil was given a modern smart phone (Google Nexus One – pupils enjoyed!) with added software capable of recording their text message traffic, (numbers sent to and received from, not content), phone calls (numbers called and received) and proximity to other (within group) phones.

• Data were collected by each phone and automatically pushed to a server for analysis at regular intervals.

Why mentoring?

• Compounded by ‘Newness’ of possibilities - entry to HE not thought of/talked about till later in school life when high attainment raises opportunity

• Difficulties in terms of access to and, crucially established relationships with adults who understand and can advise on HE

• Not simply a matter of accessing information – discussion, interpretation and understanding is needed.

• Pupil (crucial) decision making in influenced by small supportive networks.

• Mentoring seen as a key to supporting young people in addressing these issues

Why mentoring?

• US based research indicates that high attaining young people in areas of significant social disadvantage make most significant use of mentoring.

• Wikeley et al (2007) argue that positive out of school educational experiences are crucial to children and young people in terms of equipping them with the interpersonal skills and understanding necessary for effective working relationships with their teachers.

• Private tutoring and a range of extra-curricular activities which are accessible to middle class families can equip children and young people with a range of skills shown to have a significant impact on attainment (Ball, S 2003).

Project aims:

• To provide personal mentoring support to high attaining young people in Springburn Academy.

• To explore the ways in which this support can impact on the young people’s attainment and their decision making.

• To use our research to develop and strengthen the project

• The project progressed has provided one to one mentoring/tutoring for S5/S6 pupils.

• Included all those borderline and above in terms of being likely to achieve five highers and therefore entry to university.

• Pupils were identified and recruited by the school. Mentors

recruited from variety of sources, primarily within University.

• The research nature of this project has involved an ongoing process of reflection and evaluation of the project which has shaped its development.

• Commenced December 2011 and is ongoing…

What has the project been doing?

Does it work?• Mrs Ervine?

• Mentor input was crucial in providing support (emotional, practical, academic)

• Personal extensive support on entering higher education

• Students were very positive about the experience - cited numerous specific examples of learning from their mentors.

• Intergenerationality held advantages – flexibility and time for mentors different perspective and experience for students.

• Mentoring opened up the chance to get to know each other on a personal

basis – different from a formal tutoring relationship;

Future plans?• More money – expand to more schools.

• More mentors needed.

• Bringing a range of activities in this area together to increase access to higher education.

• Closer engagement with parents/carers/families?