1. Make sure the programme offers and endorses holistic development of the entire learning community. This will be achieved by making the programme accessible to all.
2. Ensure that there is a significant senior leadership team buy in that is visible and is communicated whole school via staff briefings, newsletters & home correspondence.
3. Make sure that your mentoring team is handpicked and multi-layered with a variety of staff ranging from senior to junior positions. This would give a breadth of quality, experience and credibility.
4. It is essential that your team is sufficiently trained and has the right skill sets to accommodate the variety of mentees who will be on the programme.
5. It is imperative to have a central point of the programme i.e. a coordinator; manager or director etc. who has a strategic role to ensure the programme is effectively delivered.
6. Make sure you have mentors who represent the local community or at least have a great insight into the challenges the community faces. As many members of school staffing do not come from the school’s locality so it is key to get this right.
7. To document and evaluate the programme’s quality, the right documentation and infrastructure needs to be in place so the programme can be standardised and all can sign off the same hymn sheet.
8. Create a positive buzz around the programme, re-launch, re-market and re-design the current provision if it is not effective. Do whatever it takes to get the desired outcome.
9. The best way to have more mentees is to have a strategic rolling programme as many mentee’s that are needy will clog up your programme. Ensure a roll on and roll off exists.
10. Make sure that there are incentives for those on the programme such as a reward and the mentors who deliver like CPD or accreditation etc.

If you have further questions or would like clarity please feel free to contact me.

Happy Mentoring