As the Academic Mentor will be employed by the school, we would encourage the school to monitor their performance, in line with school policies and expectations.
Should there be any concerns about the Academic Mentor or a requirement for additional support, please contact your Recruitment Partner.
Academic Mentors will provide ‘in class’ support.
They will be given learning objectives for each pupil; this will form the focus of the sessions. Academic Mentors are not expected to deliver whole-class teaching.
Each eligible school can request up to two Academic Mentors if your school has over 500 pupils on roll. Even if your school has two phases (e.g., primary and secondary), the maximum number of mentors your school can request is two. If you have less than 500 pupils on roll, you may have one Academic Mentor.
Your school will qualify if it is located in a LAD that is identified as:
You can also qualify if:
- your pupil premium is over 20%
- your school used the AM programme last year
We will consider recruiting an Academic Mentor if your school does not qualify on the criteria above, but as a result of covid has experienced either:
- high rates of teacher absence
- high rates of pupil absence
- consistent or prolonged school closure
Please contact academicmentors@nationaltutoring.org.uk and your application will be reviewed.
We are working hard to match as many Academic Mentors to schools as possible. However, there is high demand so we cannot guarantee all eligible schools will receive a mentor.
We would encourage you to contact us as soon as possible via email to register your interest in having an Academic Mentor.
Your school will be expected to cover on-costs such as pension contributions, tax, and National Insurance, as well as any additional staff benefits you offer. The on-costs will vary depending on your school’s context, but typically, they would be around 15-20% of salary.
Salary and subsidies are based on qualification. Academic Mentors with a degree will receive £21,000 per year, those without will receive 19,000. Salaries can be offered that are more than this at the school’s discretion. In such cases, the difference in payment will not be supported via a subsidy.
As a Headteacher you can nominate an individual to be an Academic Mentor for your school providing they meet the qualifying criteria:
Minimum of three A-levels at A*-C grade (or equivalent)
Minimum of a grade 4 in English and Maths at GCSE level
Please contact us here to share details of any candidates you would like to nominate.
You can also be involved in the recruitment process of external candidates. Your NTP Recruitment Partner will screen applications and provide you with a shortlist of candidates. You can review their CV and decide whether or not to progress to an interview.
Academic Mentors could be recent graduates, a retired teacher looking to return to education or those looking for a career change. Academic Mentors will not necessarily be qualified teachers but may be working towards an initial teacher training qualification or considering a career in education. They will complete a robust application process and complete training delivered by Liverpool Hope University prior to starting the role.
The aim is for schools to treat Academic Mentors as part of their staff team, supporting and managing them to deliver targeted support that is appropriate, timely, and linked to the curriculum.
You can employ your own staff as an Academic Mentor. Any existing school staff are welcome to apply using this link.
We recommend using the Academic Mentor resource on a 1:3 basis to maximise pupil outcomes. However, to allow greater flexibility of group size where needed (such as for phonics, where pair work is required), schools can use their discretion when determining group sizes, up to a cap of 1:6.
