Diploma in Mentoring

Entry requirements

• A degree
• To be working as a mentor in an educational context

Months of entry

September

Course content

This programme is a distance learning course, which comprises of four x 30 credit modules at Level 7 that will include covering all aspects of the Mentor Standards (DfE National Standards for school-based mentors, 2016).

Examining these standards enables participants to be able to respond to demands from Ofsted regarding the quality of mentoring in their community. Looking at the Mentor Standards will be combined with rigorous academic study at Master’s level, evaluating and critiquing a range of academic research relating to mentoring and relating to leadership skills and behaviours, integrating research with practice throughout.

Students will be able to critically analyse, engage in and reflect on mentoring and evaluate the implications for their own educational setting.

Module 1: Introduction to Mentoring Theory

The first of the four modules in the Diploma introduces a range of theories relating to mentoring in education. One aim is to respond to the findings of the Carter Review (2015) into mentoring in ITT. This suggests that more attention should be given to the quality of training for mentors working in schools. Ofsted recommends that this training needs to be rigorous, in that it should go beyond the ‘structure and nature of the course’ and should look to develop the skills of mentoring. Another aim is to combine the practical needs of mentoring in education with a wide range of scholarship on this topic.

Module 2: A Research Based Approach to Mentoring

This module builds upon the first module and focuses on an examination of existing research to understand how theory is implemented into practice. Building upon the theory and models explored in the previous module, these topics aim to synthesise theory with their own experience. This module focuses on developing further the skills required for effective mentoring.

Module 3 Critical reflections on Mentoring

This module enables students to critically reflect on their own practice and critically engage with research in light of their own experience and context. This brings together the review of mentoring standards with the intellectual rigour of Master’s level writing. This module focuses on an extended assignment with guidance to develop appropriate evaluative skills.

Module 4: The Wider Context of Mentoring

The final module brings together the preceding modules, develops the implications of topics already raised, for example, dealing with difficult situations by examining complexity. There is also an opportunity to evaluate different research models of effective mentoring and places this in a wider context. The arguments surrounding the relationship between mentoring and coaching are considered. The role of mentoring in an educational context are evaluated and the implications for leadership. Comparisons are also made between mentoring in education with different examples of mentoring. What can education learn from different contexts, e.g. business, psychology?

Aims of the Programme

To provide an in-depth analysis of the Mentor Standards

1. Personal Qualities

2. Teaching

3. Professionalism

4. Self-development and Working in Partnership

• To combine practice with relevant research and evidence-based practice in academic study at Master’s level
• To enable participants to reflect upon and improve their support of mentees
• Through the development of academic criticality and the synthesis of this with relevant evidence-informed practice, to prepare participants to become well-informed educational leaders of the future

Fees and funding