Mentor Review

My role includes supporting students with Maths and English, supervising them during break and lunchtime, completing administrative tasks, and keeping accurate records of mentoring sessions. I also provide mentoring sessions to support students' social and emotional development, improve their attendance, and encourage positive behaviour.
Every Friday, we take part in Learning Development Days (LDD), where we attend training and professional development sessions either at a central office or online. These sessions provide valuable support, resources, and opportunities to develop our skills, helping us to grow in our roles and better support the students we work with.

During my placement, I was given responsibility for planning and delivering my mentoring sessions. This included deciding which students to mentor on specific days and adapting sessions to meet their individual needs.
I was also involved in team responsibilities, such as taking part in a social action project, where we were given the freedom to choose and develop our own project as a group.
However, we were not given complete flexibility over when we could mentor students. Sessions could only take place during specific periods of the school day or tutor time, and some teachers were reluctant for students to be taken out of lessons. This meant we had to work around the school's timetable and staff preferences. I also found that the level of responsibility and flexibility may vary depending on the school setting. For example, primary and secondary schools may have different approaches to organising mentoring timetables and student support.

City Year uses a tool called Skills Builder to track the development of six core skills throughout the year: speaking, listening, creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and positivity. At the end of each school term, we reflected on how we had developed each of these skills by providing examples from our placement.
I found this tool particularly useful because it encouraged me to reflect on my personal and professional development over the course of the year. At the beginning of my placement, I rated myself against each skill and then reassessed myself at the end of the programme. Looking back, I have seen significant improvement across all six areas.
Using Skills Builder also helped me recognise the transferable skills I was developing without even realising it. This has given me greater confidence in discussing my strengths and experiences during future job interviews and has made me more aware of how these skills apply in different professional settings.

Throughout my placement, I received a high level of support from City Year. I had regular one-to-one meetings with my line manager, where I was able to discuss any concerns or challenges I was experiencing. Whether I needed support with mentoring, working in the classroom, or balancing my university work, I always felt comfortable approaching them for guidance.
The organisation also made a consistent effort to check in on my wellbeing and professional development. We received termly mentoring and feedback sessions, which were reviewed and shared with the wider City Year leadership team. These sessions provided an opportunity to reflect on my progress, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate achievements.
I felt that City Year genuinely cared about the wellbeing of its volunteers. If someone was going through a difficult time, they were always willing to listen and provide appropriate support, guidance, and access to useful resources. This supportive environment helped me feel valued, encouraged, and confident throughout my placement.

The company culture at City Year is fun, engaging, and highly supportive. Teamwork is strongly encouraged, with each school team having its own unique name, chants, and traditions. These small quirks are embedded in the City Year culture and create a strong sense of belonging, making the experience enjoyable and unique.
City Year also organises regular cohort activities, which provide an opportunity to step away from the school environment, build relationships with other volunteers, and strengthen teamwork. These activities are not only enjoyable but also help create a supportive community across the programme.
In addition, the organisation promotes a healthy work-life balance by offering wellbeing days, which provide a three-day weekend and valuable time to rest and recharge. Overall, City Year places a strong emphasis on both professional development and wellbeing, creating an environment where volunteers feel supported, connected, and motivated throughout their placement.

Overall, I really enjoyed my placement and found it to be a valuable learning experience. Although there were times when I felt upset, uncertain, or discouraged, these challenges were mainly related to experiences within the secondary school rather than City Year itself.
One of the aspects I enjoyed most was building meaningful friendships with other volunteers, developing positive relationships with the students, and seeing my own professional and personal growth throughout the year. These experiences helped me build confidence, improve my communication skills, and become more resilient.
There were also some challenges. At times, I had different views or approaches from some teachers, which occasionally led to disagreements. It was also difficult when members of my team left during the year, as this changed the team dynamic and increased responsibilities for those who remained. However, these experiences taught me the importance of resilience, adaptability, and perseverance. Despite the challenges, I remained committed to my role and continued to support both my team and the students throughout my placement.

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