Our learning mentor, Mrs Keating-Old, provides support and guidance to overcome social, emotional and behavioural barriers to learning. Her role is to bridge the gap between the academic and the pastoral support in school. The barriers to learning can be wide ranging and often very personal to individual students. Some examples of these barriers are: low self-esteem, low self confidence, friendship difficulties, lack of social skills, medical needs, absence from school, lateness to school, feeling vulnerable, family difficulties and bereavement. 

The mentoring process allows space and time for young people to identify and focus on the positive changes they want to make for themselves and the path by which they will achieve these changes. The learning mentor builds a rapport with the students in a calm and nurturing environment. This provision sits under the Learning Support Department but is not only open to our SEND students. 

Strategies that may be used include: playing educational games e.g. draughts to improve concentration; drawing or jigsaws to develop team work; focus on a particular skill e.g. learning to tell the time or times tables. 

Learning mentoring sessions last 30 minutes.