Pupils talking about their learning mentors: what can we learn?

The use of learning mentors to provide additional support to pupils who experience barriers to learning has become a feature of many schools in recent years. Mentoring places learning within a social context and recognises the necessity to ensure that students feel both comfortable with and in control of the learning process. This paper describes research which sought the views of young people who, having been identified as having social difficulties, had been supported by learning mentors. Their personal interpretation of mentoring and its impact on their lives is discussed and illustrated through use of their own words. Students interviewed demonstrated an ability to rationalise their own situations and behaviors and provide an indication of the important role that learning mentors have played in their lives.