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Progress Mentors
Strong pastoral care, support and guidance are extremely important in contributing to students’ success. Your progress mentor will offer advice and guidance to help you settle in quickly and enjoy your time with us. You will have a weekly group session with your progress mentor as well as one-to-one meetings throughout the year. Your progress mentor will also help you to make the right decisions about career choices and support you with applications for your next steps.
ONE-TO-ONES
One-to-one support and mentoring
Your progress mentor will be available throughout your time at Blackpool Sixth as a central point of advice and guidance. Progress mentors are located in Student Support Hubs which are located around college. Students can drop in at the Student Support Hubs at any time for support or guidance – if your progress mentor is not available, another progress mentor will always help. Your progress mentor will also conduct scheduled one-to-ones with you to discuss your academic progress, attendance, personal development and agree individual improvement targets with you. You can book a one-to-one appointment with your progress mentor yourself whenever you need it – just contact them!
PASTORAL CURRICULUM
The pastoral curriculum is a programme designed to aid your success at Blackpool Sixth, incorporating many elements to help you in your journey through further education and into the world of work, university or apprenticeships. The aim is to be a success not only in your studies, but also in your future. The core programme includes timetabled group sessions with your Progress Mentor every week. In these sessions you will cover a range of subjects which will broaden your knowledge and skills. You will have guest lectures and one-to-one support and mentoring.
Some of the topics we study include:
| Lower Sixth | Upper Sixth | Foundation Programme |
| Welcome/ Expectations/ Key Information / Diagnostics | Welcome back, Key information and expectations. Next Steps Workshop. 1:1 expectations | Welcome/ Expectations/ Key Information/ Diagnostics |
| Mental Health and Wellbeing. 1:1 expectations | Next Steps Workshop | Growth Mindset and Mental Health |
| Cyber Safety and AI | Preparing for Interviews | Online course |
| Prevent/ British Values/ Equality/ Hate Crime | Next Steps Workshop | Study Skills |
| Driving and the Risks | Health (Mental Health) | Online course |
| Sexual Health and Consent | Study Skills and Time Management | Progression review and target setting |
| Healthy Relationships and Coercive Control | Physical Health | Healthy Relationships and Domestic Abuse |
| Exploitation | Healthy Work/Life Balance | British Values |
| Finance and Budgeting | Mocks | Sexual Health and Consent |
| University and Finance | Democracy | Cyber Safety and AI |
| Apprenticeships | Knife Crime | Employability Skills and Self-Reflection |
| Employment and Gap Years | Student Finance and Finance for the Future | Finance and Budgeting |
| Wider Reading and Reference Builder | Preparing for the Future/Life Skills | Next steps |
| Exploitation |
- Progression routes including University, Apprenticeships and Employment
- Student Finance
- Renting/Mortgages
- Finance and Budgeting
- Preparing for Independence
- Study Skills
- Work/Life Balance
- Coping with Stress
- Substance Misuse
- Hate Crime
- Healthy Relationships and Consent
GUEST LECTURES
For some topics, expert guest speakers will be invited to deliver presentations related to their fields of expertise.
Progression
Progress Mentors will help you research and apply for your next steps, including:
- UCAS and University
- Apprenticeships
- Employment
- Gap Year
What do our students say?
- Always there if you need them - good emotional support
- Very good support with mental health.
- They are understanding and have my best interests at heart. They provide relevant and valuable information and advice that I have taken and used.
- I don’t feel like I’m being judged for asking for support
- My progress mentor is caring and kind. And if you need any help, advice or support, the door is always open.
- She's kind, informative, approachable and supportive without being condescending
- Well-led sessions with helpful information.
I learn about things I wouldn't be able to find out without overwhelming myself, like university life and the next steps after college. - PMs are useful in educating me on world issues.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What is a Progress Mentor?
A Progress Mentor (PM) is a dedicated member of the Student Services team who provides care, support and guidance to help you settle into college life, stay on track with your studies, and successfully plan your next steps after college. Every student has an allocated Progress Mentor who will support them throughout their time at college.
- Where can I find my Progress Mentor?
Progress Mentors are based in Student Support Hubs which are located around college. You will also see your Progress Mentor during your timetabled Progress Mentor session each week.
- What is the environment like in the Student Support Hubs?
According to student feedback, the Progress Mentors provide a kind, caring, and non-judgmental environment. Students frequently note that Progress Mentors are highly approachable, offer excellent support on a range of matters including academic progress and progression.
- Do I need to book an appointment to see my Progress Mentor?
No, you don’t always need an appointment. You can drop in at the Student Support Hubs during the college day however, your Progress Mentor may not always be in the Student Support Hub at that time. As a result, you may prefer to email and agree a time, so you know they will be there.
- What if my Progress Mentor is busy or not available when I drop in to the Hub?
Don’t worry! If your Progress Mentor is unavailable when you drop in, you can always email them and they will arrange a time to meet with you. Alternatively, another Progress Mentor in the Student Support Hub may be there to help you.
- Will I have the same Progress Mentor throughout my time at college?
We aim for consistency with your Progress Mentor whenever possible although this may not always be possible. Don’t worry though, you will always have a dedicated Progress Mentor to support you throughout your time at college.
- What are the timetabled PM sessions?
PM sessions are timetabled group lessons dedicated to our pastoral curriculum. This structured programme is purposefully designed to support your academic success while equipping you with essential skills for life beyond college. It covers essential life skills, wellbeing strategies, and preparation for adulthood, university or the workplace.
- What kind of topics are covered in PM sessions?
The curriculum is tailored to your specific year group. Key topics include:
- Study Skills: Time management, revision strategies and study/revision planning
- Wellbeing and Safeguarding: Mental health, healthy relationships, consent, knife crime and health
- Life skills: Democracy, finance, driving and cyber security and AI
- Next Steps: Research, interviews, applications for all progression routes
- Will we only learn from our Progress Mentors during these sessions?
While your Progress Mentor leads the majority of the sessions, the college also invites guest speakers to deliver presentations on specific topics related to their fields of expertise.
- How often will I meet with my Progress Mentor individually?
You will have scheduled 1:1 meetings with your Progress Mentor throughout the academic year. However, you can also easily book additional 1:1 appointments whenever you feel you need extra support – just reach out to them directly.
- What do we discuss during 1:1s?
1:1s are highly personalised and will focus on what support and guidance you need. We will also set SMART targets to help you with your progress. Some of the topics that could be discussed are:
- Your academic progress and attendance.
- Personal development and wellbeing.
- Individual improvement targets to keep you on the path to success.
- Planning for progression after college.
- How will a Progress Mentor help me plan my life after college?
Your Progress Mentor will guide you through researching and applying for your next steps. They provide targeted workshops within your PM sessions and 1:1 support for the routes after college including:
- University (UCAS): Help with UCAS registration, researching courses and universities, writing personal statements and completing your application.
- Apprenticeships: Sourcing and applying for apprenticeship opportunities and completing applications.
- Employment: Crafting CVs and preparing for job interviews.
- Gap Years: Planning meaningful and productive gap year experiences.
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