GROW Mentoring Programme

A Graduate Mentoring programme for Y10 – Y13 Pupils (June 2020 – December 2022)

The GROW Programme has now closed. For an evaluation of the programme see here and the report (Pountney, Booth and Campbell (2021))

See also: Pountney, R. (2022). A curriculum of hope: designing and evaluating a remote mentoring programme for pupils in a pandemic, ECNU Review of Education https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311221111806

For testimonials to the excellent contribution the GROW Programme has made to the lives of South Yorkshire students and to the Graduate Mentors see numerous posts in GROW News


The Covid-19 Pandemic has caused considerable disruption to our young people at a late stage of their studies.

At Sheffield Hallam University (SHU), we recognise that this can have a profound effect on their processes and habits of learning so we have developed the GROW mentoring project, working with the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and South Yorkshire schools.

This programme addresses some of the challenges facing year 10, year 11, and year 13 at this very particular time of their lives in these potentially challenging times. It also offers graduates entering employment the opportunity to develop important skills in mentoring and coaching others, and to be accredited for this work.

By working together, schools and graduates form a network of support for young people who are at one of the most crucial stages in their education

What makes the GROW Mentoring Programme different?

  1. Our focus is on mentoring: We are putting pupil wellbeing and engagement at the heart of our programme giving pupils bespoke support to help them progress.
  2. Levelling Up Locally: Supporting recent university graduates to gain skills and experiences beneficial for further study and employment.
  3. Scalability: We have a model which is being replicated and adapted across the country with online training and delivery.

This video gives a taste of the interaction between Graduate Mentors and pupils on the programme:

See how we recognise the achievement of both pupils and mentors on the programme.

For more information see:
Evaluation Report of Phase 1 of the GROW Programme here
Experience of being a GROW Graduate  Mentor here