The BHASVIC Flourish Programme

Academic mentoring at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth-form College

METHODOLOGY 

The programme was initially piloted in 2019-20 with some success but the need for its support was made even more acute during the Covid crisis and the move to remote teaching and learning. With dedicated Uni Connect funding covering staffing costs for mentors, the programme was better resourced in 2020-21, and recruited a co-ordinator and two additional mentors. The number of students participating increased from 26 to 42 students.

The students chosen to take part in the project were those most at risk of not completing the study programme they had started and who met at least one of the following criteria:

• Low GCSE Point Score (from lowest in the year group to around greater than 5.5)
• Living in a ward/postcode with low participation in HE
• Receiving Pupil Premium in Year 11
• Young Carers or care-experienced young people
• Not assessed as needing or receiving Additional Learning Support.

In 2020-21, 31 first-year students and 11 second-year students were selected to take part in the programme. All students received half-termly mentoring sessions from staff members, working through a series of study skills tools, exploring career and educational future plans, applying for widening participation opportunities and schemes, and receiving support with their wellbeing. The project was overseen by a co-ordinator who also provided a suite of enrichment activities and other resources.

IMPACT

The Flourish programme had the following impacts:

• 42 students were total engaged with the Flourish programme.
• 31 first-year students became new Flourish mentees in December 2020.
• 28 first-year students remained actively engaged.
• 14 second-year students completed the programme, with nine applying to university, one progressing on to a vocational education course and four taking gap years.
• Analysis indicated that there has been a significant positive impact on retention rates for mentees at BHASVIC, closing the gap between Flourish students and all BHASVIC students across the two years of the programme from 16% to 1.8%. 

KEY FUNDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• Supporting students to make plans for the future and figure out what they would like to do after BHASVIC is clearly a major strength of the programme. Future planning was mentioned three times by students as an area for development, so it’s clearly one they value and want help with.
• Confidence and motivation with academic studies (a core objective of the programme) scored well.  Feedback included: ‘It keeps me motivated and makes my workload feel less stressful and more manageable.’
• Students reported that having a mentor had improved their wellbeing. Feedback included: ‘The two most helpful things have been, firstly, the emotional support and mental wellbeing strategies, or even just having someone to talk to, and secondly, the future plans – exploring what I’d be best suited for in terms of environment, rather than just careers, degrees etc.’
• In a highly academic college, with barely 20 months to complete a short, intensive period of study that’s crucial in terms of progression to further and higher education, it’s important to recognise that some students might need additional support. Resources are limited in further education, with students funded at the lowest rate of any phase of their education. Resources to mentor the most vulnerable are stretched and this programme has highlighted the need to offer them additional support in a sensitive manner that is discreet in its targeting and offers a programme of bespoke and developmental education.

TALKING POINTS 

What are the benefits of SLN’s devolved model, which allows schools and sixth-form colleges to use their funding to create their own tailored programmes while consulting with us and working with identified students based on Uni Connect criteria?

 

 

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