A DIFFERENT CLASS OF LEARNING

Jillian Spink
11 Cranbrook Drive
Esher
Surrey
KT10 8DL
England
Manager, Basingstoke Consortium

ABSTRACT

Like a number of English country towns which expanded rapidly during the 1960s to
accommodate people from inner city slum clearance areas, Basingstoke, Hampshire,  has a
distinct 'disadvantaged urban area'. The area contains large estates of public housing and is
served by two mixed comprehensive schools which share the bottom of the local league table of
schools' examination results.  

The numbers of students from this area choosing post 16 education is lower than the average for
the town particularly in the case of females.  

To try to remedy this situation, schools were asked to identify a cohort of female students who
were potentially able but who had low self esteem and personal expectations.  Each student
was matched with a young female manager from a Basingstoke business.  The student visited
her mentor at least monthly throughout a period of eight months. The mentor supported the
student in her work, discussed college prospectuses and formulated personal action plans
which included an extensive examination revision timetable.

The cohort also attended a student development course held after school for two hours each
half term. The content was based upon a course used successfully for female adults.

From a less than confident beginning the mentor meetings have developed and increased in
number. By March 1995 twenty nine students had applied for college courses; over half had
applied for science based courses and many were the first members of their family to apply to
enter post 16 education. The action planning cycles and reviews have been particularly
successful and Further Education colleges are discussing the possibility of continuing the
mentoring system during the next two years to support the students through their college
courses.

BACKGROUND

Basingstoke, Hampshire was a small country town which was rapidly expanded to the north
during the late 1960s to accommodate large numbers of overspill populations from inner
London slum clearances.  The large, peripheral estates of north Basingstoke are bounded by a
ring road, motorway and railway line and suffer a degree of geographical isolation.  The
neighbourhood shopping centres offer a limited range of services with some closed and boarded
up.  Litter, graffiti and the effects of vandalism are apparent.

The estates are characterised by a much higher than average proportion of families from lower
socio-economic groups.  The 1991 Census of Population revealed that 14% of males living on
the estates were unemployed compared with 6% for the whole town.

These northern estates are served by two small size secondary schools whose published
academic results are significantly lower than the national average and of the other schools in the
town.

Attendance during the final years of secondary schooling is significantly lower for females from
north Basingstoke than for the rest of the town's schools.  Girls are kept at home to support
elderly relatives or supervise younger siblings.  Many students from north Basingstoke work long
hours as cleaners after school or work very early in the morning stacking market stalls.  This
employment often supplements the family income.  The acquisition of money is seen as essential
by the students for their well being.  This impulse gratification is demonstrated by an anxiety to
get a job at 16 years with little foresight towards a future or training. The staying on rate to
further education in north Basingstoke is 60% which is 18% lower than the town average.  New
statistics reveal that students from north Basingstoke are significantly more likely to drop out of
their courses during the first term at college.

A questionnaire was circulated to all students not intending to enter further education in April,
1994.  The north Basingstoke respondents identified 'not for me', 'not clever enough', 'my parents
can't afford it', 'want to get a job', and 'had enough of school' as the main reasons for not
continuing their education at post 16. These responses reinforced anecdotal evidence from their
teachers which identified a lack of confidence, low self esteem and low expectations for their
future in this cohort of students which was particularly evident in females in Years 10 and 11. 
These students also often referred to the major disadvantage constituted by their home address
when they applied for jobs.

PURPOSE

An intervention pilot project was set up in the north Basingstoke schools focusing on female
Year 11 students to attempt to reduce the structural correspondence between family
background, type of school and type of work and the low expectation - low skills equilibrium.

METHODOLOGY

The north Basingstoke schools identified a total of thirty (which was extended to thirty seven)
Year 11 females who were known to be intellectually able but not intending to enter the colleges
or take employment with training at 16+ years.

Fifty young female managers who belonged to a Women in Business group and actively
promoted equality of opportunity for women in the work place were contacted.  The managers
were each asked to support one female Year ll student, as a mentor, during the last seven
months of her school career which culminated in public examinations in May 1995.  Thirty seven
managers replied to the original letter and attended a meeting in September 1994 to discuss and
agree aims and activities for the pilot mentoring scheme and to meet school link teachers.

AGREED AIMS

To prepare students more effectively for further education and working life by regular meetings
with a mentor.  This partnership is aimed to raise the students' self esteem and to give
encouragement to work towards a better future by:

-	raising personal aspirations
	
-	improving motivation
		
-	enhancing achievement
	
-	increasing business awareness


AGREED ACTIVITIES

Student to meet her mentor at the mentor's workplace for about one hour each month.

The meetings could include:
	
-discussions about ongoing school work, with the student bringing items from her portfolio
for particular attention 
	
-an exploration of possible career paths and progression routes using a career planner

-an interest in the National Record of Achievement particularly the personal statement and
action plan (emphasising short, medium and long term aspirations)

- in depth discussion of the colleges' prospectuses and available courses

-discussions about the mentor's own career, work experiences and aspirations

The schools matched students to the mentors using career interests, hobbies or subject
interest/expertise as loose criteria. The matching took place at the end of the mentors' meeting. 
During the period of the project the students met as a discrete group on three occasions.  The
group was led by a female consultant skilled in training women returners.  The consultant
worked with the Basingstoke Consortium manager who is an experienced teacher.  This student
development course focused on techniques for raising self esteem and confidence and gave the
students a broad overview of female career patterns and opportunities beyond 18+ years. 

The link teachers met on four occasions to review the effectiveness of the project. A small group
of Basingstoke employers and consultants were consulted during the early phases of the project.

An interim lunch time evaluation meeting with the mentors took place in February 1995 and an
evaluation by questionnaire was carried out in May, 1995 at the end of the pilot scheme.  The
link teachers undertook informal interviews with the students in May, 1994.

EVALUATION

Thirty mentors attended the evaluation meeting.  The process was informal - general discussion
under preplanned headings (circulated before the meeting) with a consensus of agreement for
each point.  The outcomes of this meeting informed the structure of the questionnaire.  Twenty
one questionnaires were returned. An analysis of the questionnaires and the student/link
teacher interviews is summarised below.

Advantages to Student
-	access to someone from an older age group who is not a teacher/parent
-	access to a working environment
-	a broadening of student's horizons
-	a break from school - homework routine
-	possible discussion point at future interviews 
-	could lead to work experience opportunities

-	practical help was given with:
	-	action planning
	-	revision for GCSE
	-	personal statement
	-	reading college prospectuses
	-	choosing courses post 16
	-	career choices

Advantages to the Mentor
-	break from usual type of work
-	rewarding experience

Discussion topics between mentor and student which were deemed to be useful by the student
-	revision for mock examinations
-	mock results
-	revision and examination technique
-	further education and career aspirations
-	advantages and disadvantages of further education courses
-	student's home life
-	mentor's academic background
-	structure of mentor's department
-	mentor's job role
-	examples of mentor's responsibilities
-	demonstration of software used by mentor 
-	other company/professional visits with mentor
-	tours of work place specialist areas (laboratories, machine shop etc.)

PROBLEMS/CONCERNS

At 16, a student still finds it difficult to come out of the teacher-pupil role (Student expects
mentor to guide the conversation and arrange the next meeting).

At 16, student cannot fully appreciate the link between current schoolwork/project work and
outside environment/mentor's job.  (For example when discussing her business studies project,
one student was unwilling to take on any new ideas or suggestions that had not yet been
covered at school).

The mentor had no idea of the academic ability of the student so it was difficult to recommend
future courses at post 16.
The mentors were not necessarily well matched to the students.  This needs more careful
consideration and stated criteria.

Transport and timing of meetings was sometimes difficult to arrange.

Some mentors were confused about what they were doing and did not know who the other
mentors were.

Mentors just beginning to get to know student when the scheme ended in May 1995.

Some mentors would like to continue working with their student next year making it more
difficult to extend the scheme to others.

Mentors do not understand the new NVQ/GNVQ course structure and its relationship with
GCSE and 'A' level.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE SCHEMES

Much more accurate matching of student further education/career aspirations with mentor's
own experience is needed.

There should be better selection of students with respect to the objectives of the scheme.

The scheme should start earlier in the academic year.

The teacher should brief the mentor on the academic ability of the student so that the mentor
can judge how high to encourage the student to aim.

Mentors need more information about NVQ and GNVQ courses.

Mentors' names and business addresses should be circulated to all mentors to enable local
networking.

The transport arrangements for the student should be considered during the matching process.

CONCLUSION

From a less than confident beginning the mentor meetings developed and increased in number. 
By March 1995 twenty nine students had applied for college courses; over half had applied for
Science based courses and many were the first members of their family to enter post 16
education.  Several students will be supported by their mentor during the first months of their
college courses - known to be the most vulnerable time for these students.

The problems of a lack of concise matching criteria and occasional breakdowns in
communication with the link teacher are acknowledged and possible solutions will be
considered during the development of the next scheme for 1995-96.  All the other
recommendations have been accepted by both link teachers and mentors and will be built into
next year's management processes.