Peer mentoring scheme extends to Manchester school

The City Year mentoring programme will see seven young people aged 18 to 24 volunteer at the Manchester Enterprise Academy, Wythenshawe, over the next two academic terms, with the aim to expand into other Manchester schools in September.

The volunteers, known as corp members, will serve as “near peer” role models, mentors and tutors, providing extra support for pupils in and out of the classroom to help improve attendance, behaviour and academic attainment.

The programme will also provide corp members with training sessions and useful life skills, which they could use to open new routes into further education and employment.

Created by youth and education charity, City Year, the peer mentoring programme aims to tackle educational inequality by developing young people's talents and enthusiasm for learning. Set up initially in London in 2011, the scheme was extended to Birmingham in 2013.

Sophie Livingstone, chief executive of City Year UK, said: “I believe this start-up team of inspirational young people, many of whom have grown up in, or near Manchester, will serve as exceptional role-models and mentors to students at Manchester Enterprise Academy.

“Through their trailblazing efforts, we hope to build a base from which we can support thousands more pupils across the city and offer hundreds more volunteering opportunities to school and university leavers in their own local communities.”

A 2013 report by the Institute for Voluntary Research praised the City Year scheme for the "substantial positive impacts" it delivered for those taking part in the final year of the three-year pilot in London.