Measuring progress and impact

It is vital that learning mentors record the progress that their students make so that they can measure impact and share with others any successes and concerns. In order to do this they can put in place a few simple mechanisms:

Identification and referrals

Learning mentors should follow clear procedures in school using assessment and other data to ensure appropriate interventionsare made. Referrals should not be ad-hoc.

Baseline assessment

at what level is the student achieving?
is the student on target?
attendance and punctuality level
indicators of behaviour (incident slips etc)
attitude to learning (simple questionnaire or worksheet)
attitude to school (simple questionnaire or worksheet)
other indicators e.g. making friends, parental engagement

Progress checks and review

These can be made regularly and at the close of mentoring to ensure that measurement of impact and any other appropriate support is put in place.

has the student achieved targets?
has attendance improved?
has behaviour improved? (noting positive behaviour)
has the student’s attitude to learning and school improved?
is homework/coursework being completed?
has there been any academic progress?

Sharing information

Learning mentors need a few forms and other documentation for keeping school colleagues informed of their interventions and the progress students are making. It is also useful for learning mentors to be kept informed of progress in the classroom by teachers. Some schools may prefer to do this by email. Learning mentors may be required to bring information to MAPP meetings.

Data

Learning mentors are advised to record and use information about the students they mentor to demonstrate impact and help to plan further provision in school. This could consist of the reason for referral, the intervention that takes place and the outcome of mentoring. The information can feed into the school’s self evaluation form (SEF) and used for OFSTED inspections.