Mentoring at secondary school

We mentor students in schools at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 to develop essential skills and improve academic outcomes.

We work with

What we do

Secondary programmes

Our mentoring in secondary schools prepares students for exams and inspires them for life beyond school. The following programmes can be delivered as standalone days or in combination as a 'Journey'. Almost all of the schools that we work with do so on a 'Journey' format.

Mentor Training Journey

The Mentor Training Journey trains older students to be mentors to younger students within their school before reflecting (in a 1:1 context) on their experience as mentors.

Fast-paced and full of activities and big discussions, students are trained to be mentors in their schools through three modules:
1. Introduction to Mentoring
2. What Makes a Good Mentor?
3. Hit the Ground Running
Each session is 60 minutes long, with one Oppidan mentor for every group of 8-10 students.
Later in the school year, each student mentor has a 1:1 session with an Oppidan mentor, reflecting on the highlights and challenges of mentoring younger students, as well as on the skills that they have developed and how they plan to use them further in the future.
- 15-minute morning reflection
- Series of 25-minute 1:1 sessions with an Oppidan mentor
- Personalised report and actionable feedback for each student

COR Mentoring Journey

The COR Mentoring Journey is a series of termly 1:1 mentoring sessions for secondary students, each one focused on one of our key outcomes: character, oracy and readiness.

Individual 1:1 sessions for each student reflecting on their character and identity, as well as what drives them and makes them unique.
Each day involves:
- 15-minute morning assembly
- 25-minute 1:1 sessions with an Oppidan mentor
- Personalised report and actionable feedback for each student
Individual 1:1 sessions for each student aimed at developing their oracy skills, including speaking, listening and presenting, taking the format of a mock interview.
Each day involves:
- 15-minute morning assembly
- 25-minute 1:1 sessions with an Oppidan mentor
- Personalised report and actionable feedback for each student
Individual 1:1 sessions for each student fostering an understanding of the value of setting goals, before setting a clear goal and setting out actionable steps to achieve it.
Each day involves:
- 15-minute morning assembly
- 25-minute 1:1 sessions with an Oppidan mentor
- Personalised report and actionable feedback for each student

Please note: although most schools work with us on a Journey format, these workshops can be delivered as group sessions (3 x 1-hour) over the course of a day.

Metrics that matter

78%

Of students report that they understand themselves and their identity better after the programme

76%

Of students report that their communication skills improved as result of their Oppidan programme

78%

Of students report they feel more prepared for future challenges as a result of their Oppidan programme

Testimonials

What they say

Alastair Chirnside

Warden, St. Edward’s Oxford
“The sixth form scheme that Oppidan Education established was outstanding. The pupils developed skills of listening and understanding for life, becoming better leaders within the school community.”
Clarissa Farr

Director of Education, Affinitas Education
“The components on university application, interviewing and careers are useful springboards from which a school’s sixth form / HE leads could then provide further follow up and extension. There seems to be a strong element of implicit role modelling in what you do that is key to the motivation of the students and the appeal of the sessions.”
Megan Morris

Executive Principal, Malcolm Arnold Academy (DRET)
“Oppidan has been very successful in our schools. The reach you have enabled us to have across our diverse intake of students, our most vulnerable learners and in creating enriching experiences for all; has been invaluable. We are thrilled to be building even further on this mighty work this academic year.”
Olivia Boyle

Head of Sixth Form, KA Academy
“Wonderful to see a project that provides such tangible benefits to both groups of children. We have witnessed an increased confidence and sense of wellbeing for all students involved. We know teenagers learn best from their peers, and a programme such as this, feeds into that mentality in the best possible way.”
Pavandeep Gill

Assistant Principal, St Dominic’s Sixth Form College
The students thoroughly enjoyed the 1:1 sessions and I now have others asking if they could have this at a later date! The mentors were so talented and yet so down to earth, they were relatable and the students were so positive in their feedback to me. Thank you for preparing such a unique opportunity for them.here

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In action

Secondary case studies

Featured

Secondary

Education South West

Secondary

We were delighted to begin our partnership with Education South West supporting over 160 students from across the group.

Secondary

Wellington School

Secondary

Oppidan were delighted to begin our partnership with Wellington School for a one-off mentoring ‘taster’.

Secondary

Stephen Perse Foundation

Secondary

Oppidan were delighted to begin our partnership with the Stephen Perse Foundation on a two-part mentoring programme.

Secondary

Dixons Academies Trust

Secondary

In June 2024, we were delighted to launch our partnership with the Dixons Academies Trust.

Secondary

View all case studies

Frequently asked questions

Schools we work with often mention the same three key areas of value:
- Removed from the everyday school environment, mentors provide a more objective voice providing motivation and clarity to students.
- With detailed reporting and 1:1 sessions, our team offer a level of personalisation that’s difficult to recreate in school.
- Impetus and consistency: our team offer energy and long-termism to mentoring schemes, providing the resources and structure needed for meaningful impact.
Our programmes are built using the Oxford Character Project framework for character development. We have developed our content in partnership with Skills Builder (all programmes are Skills Builder Level 2 accredited) and with insights from Dr Ed Brookes at the Oxford Character Project.
Our resources are built in-house by our education team, all of whom are former school leaders. We work closely with our school partners and the Oxford Character Project, as well as regularly reviewing student feedback to ensure our resources are second to none. High quality character resources are a key part of our value offering.
Oppidan is regularly asked to support with teacher CPD and all our journeys start with teacher training which is tailored according to school needs. We’re committed to ensuring that whole staff are an integral part of our programme implementation. We’ll provide additional character resources to lighten the load for teachers in between our programme days.
Every Oppidan mentor has an enhanced DBS check and has been trained in safeguarding. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead at Oppidan is our co-founder Walter Kerr. We share our policies with a school as we begin our partnership and always support the specific safeguarding needs and regulations in each setting.

Mentoring at secondary school