Upon completion of a rigorous application and interview process, successful Year 12 students are trained to become Peer Mentors. The Peer Mentoring role develops coaching skills and communication, as well as core life skills including reliability, professional working relationships and supporting/motivating others.
Peer Mentors work 1:1 with students in Year 10 and 11 to make progress in English, maths and science. During extra sessions after school, with the support of subject staff, students spend time developing their knowledge and understanding whilst building confidence in preparation for their summer examinations.
Peer Mentors can also choose to support groups of students alongside their personal studies in timetabled lessons, taking direction from teaching staff and sharing their passion for a particular curriculum area. Peer Mentoring hours are logged through an online diary system which forms evidence that can be used as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Certificate and the Gosforth Academy Volunteering Award. Others find that Peer Mentoring is a fantastic talking point for job interviews and university applications.
Some students have taken the next step to gain full mentoring qualifications having started their mentoring journey at Gosforth Academy. Peer Mentors provide vital tuition for academic progress whilst demonstrating core values that make them admirable role models for students in lower school.