Mentoring
Resources
Generic
A range of print and on-line resources are available to Aimhigher mentors and the young people they work with. These include a detailed 2 day training programme and a range of resources:
The Aimhigher Idea Bank is sequenced to deliver identified learner outcomes at particular phases in the learner journey through the national curriculum key stages to higher education entry. In our Idea Bank, seven year groups are represented and can be divided into three phases:
There are also a number of generic activities and information resources that mentors can use and tailor in the work with learners across all three phases.
The Idea Bank covers:
These activities will help the learner achieve the outcomes outlined in the three phases, and in particular:
The Idea Bank has been designed to assist mentors in planning and structuring sessions that will engage and motivate learners at each stage of their development.
There are around 15 relevant areas for attention for each year group. The links in the tables below take you to a suite of suggested activities and resources to support you in your work, as well as information on other events and activities organised by Aimhigher and partner Universities that might be of interest to your learners. These include campus visits, subject enrichment programmes, master classes, revision classes, summer schools, and higher education conventions. Please note that although the Idea Bank is divided up into year groups and Key Stages, your learners may benefit from activities which feature in other sections. For example, a year 11 pupil may not have the knowledge as described in the year 11 section. Therefore, some of the activities from the year 9 and 10 sections would be better suited.
| Phase | Year Groups | Main Themes / Activities / Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Generic | Years 7 to 13 |
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| Introductory |
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| Developmental |
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| Consolidation |
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A list of websites is given below, some of which are essential and others useful. Websites 1, 2 and 3 will be referred to regularly during your time as a mentor, so learning to navigate these sites early in the mentoring programme is advised.
This site hosts a comprehensive library of activities which mentors will find invaluable. It is split into two packs:
It is strongly suggested that mentors familiarise themselves with this very practical classroom based resource. Please note that financial information will need to be checked and updated where necessary.
Here you can download copies of this manual, and access the detailed learner engagement plans and activities for year groups 7 to 13.
This is the site mentors will use for any communication outside of the school environment. Here mentors can select from over 100 online activities for their mentees (learners) to carry out – this could be independently or with the mentor present. Login details will be given to mentors during their training.
Other generic sites include:
Some excellent website that can help you get your mentees thinking about careers and the world of work. Some also include quizzes and diagnostic assessments that suggest career ideas based on the user’s interests, likes and dislikes etc.
