Mentors giving pupils helping hand for GCSEs

12:31pm Monday 25th February 2008

Comments (2)   Have your say »

STUDENTS who fell short of hoped-for grades in the mock GCSE exams are being given a second chance thanks to a new mentoring scheme.

Five years ago, AXA Insurance in Lostock, teamed up with Westhoughton High School as part of the Adopt-a-School acheme, which links local schools with businesses.

Now the company has launched a new initiative identifying pupils in need of help and pairing them up with an employee who will act as a mentor. They work together towards helping the pupil achieve good GCSE grades this summer.

Gary Cuthbertson, AXA's senior learning and development adviser, said: "The aim is to provide the students with an additional resource to help improve their grades, in addition to helping develop the skills of our own employees, ie communication and mentoring skills."

The monthly sessions will include coursework development and understanding, an action plan, and revision work Melissa Haslam, aged 15, is one of eight pupils taking part and is teamed up with Dawn Ricketts, senior claims negotiator.

"It was like having a new friend, someone there to support just me in the run-up to the exams," said Melissa.

She hopes to gain at least 5 A*-C grades in her GCSEs and go on to study AS levels in food technology, art, biology and possibly physics. She is also hoping the scheme will help her confidence grow.

Mrs Ricketts said: "I got involved in the scheme because in my day-to-day life I don't have any real contact with young people.

"I want to offer the benefit of my work and life experience and hopefully some encouragement and support, especially as exam time is coming up, which I know can be stressful. It should be good fun for both of us. "

Kath MacIntyre, head of upper school at Westhoughton High, said: "It's running like an absolute dream. The students are positive and enthusiastic about the scheme, which we hope will boost their self-esteem and help them achieve."

AXA is sponsoring the new Schools Enterprise Award in the Bolton and Bury Business Awards. To enter log on to: Business Awards.