About Aimhigher Associates
In this section, you can find out more about who is responsible for the scheme, how it should work in school/college, how the project will be evaluated, and more about the Aimhigher Associates themselves.

If your school/college would like to take part in the Aimhigher Associate Scheme, click here.

Who is responsible for the Aimhigher Associate scheme?
The Aimhigher Associate scheme is led by Aimhigher Nottinghamshire and The Students in Classrooms’ team at Nottingham Trent University in partnership with The University of Nottingham’s Widening Participation Team.

• Aimhigher Nottinghamshire - As the Aimhigher Associate scheme is a national Aimhigher initiative, Aimhigher Nottinghamshire oversees the delivery of the scheme in Nottinghamshire. We are instrumental in working with all of the key partners involved and ensuring the scheme is monitored and evaluated to ensure it meets the key aims and objectives on time and to budget.   

• Nottingham Trent University - Nottingham Trent University is responsible for recruiting a target number of Aimhigher Associates and for supporting them throughout their time on the scheme. The university also provides administration for the project, including administration of the training programme, liaison with local schools and colleges participating in the project and administration of payments to Aimhigher Associates.

Nottingham Trent University contact
Dave Richards - Tel: 0115 848 2949 - Email: david.richards@ntu.ac.uk 

• The University of Nottingham - The University of Nottingham is responsible for facilitating the recruitment of students from that university, including supporting the recruitment and training process.

• Schools and colleges - Within schools and colleges the Aimhigher Associate scheme is managed by a school coordinator who is usually the Aimhigher Coordinator or a member of staff who has sufficient influence to ensure that the scheme is a success. More information about the roles and responsibilities of the school’s coordinator can be found in the Service Level Agreement.

Who are the Aimhigher Associates?
Aimhigher Associates are current undergraduates from local higher education institutions who, in many cases, come from similar backgrounds to the students, and who may, themselves, have taken part in the Aimhigher programme whilst still at school. The Aimhigher Associates have undergone a rigorous application process and an intensive training programme in order to equip them with the essential knowledge, understanding and interpersonal skills necessary to meet the challenge of preparing and organising their mentoring sessions with their mentees.

Who do the Aimhigher Associates work with?
The selection of the right learners is fundamental to the success of the scheme. The learners selected for the scheme must all be suitable students from the Aimhigher widening participation cohort. The Aimhigher schools guidance document that all schools have been issued with gives comprehensive details on how to identify these students.   

How often will the Aimhigher Associates meet their learners?
Each Aimhigher Associate is responsible for mentoring 5 students who will have been selected from the school’s Aimhigher cohort and who, where possible, have been matched in terms of subjects of interest, subjects being studied, personal interests and activities. The scheme runs from November to the end of May and Aimhigher Associates are expected to attend school each week to hold a one to one session with each of their learners during each week of university term time. In addition, Aimhigher Associates are expected to hold a minimum of 5 group sessions with their learners and participate in some e-mentoring exchanges. The exact timing of these sessions is negotiable between you and the Aimhigher Associate(s) in your school.

What impact will these sessions have on the curriculum?
A mentoring session is usually one teaching period in length, with students coming out of lessons to attend their mentoring sessions. The Aimhigher Associates are expected to manage their own time when seeing their learners and if they can only come into school one day each week, they must rotate the time they see their learners so that the students do not miss the same lessons.

How will our students benefit from the scheme?
The scheme provides learners with an opportunity to work with a resourceful individual who can offer practical assistance and personal support to help them achieve their potential.

The range of benefits includes:

• increased self-esteem, motivation and confidence
• an increased sense of direction and purpose
• encouragement and support to improve educational performance and academic achievement
• help in combating underachievement
• the opportunity to meet with a positive role model
• an increased awareness of the opportunities offered by higher education
• support and assistance in making successful educational transitions from an Associate who has recently experienced such transitions themselves
• opportunities to develop a confident and competent approach to the UCAS application process
• experience in planning for the future and preparation for the world of work.

Does the school need to provide an induction programme for the Aimhigher Associate(s)?
Yes! First impressions count! So the school coordinator should try to include the following in the induction for mentors:

• the school/college child protection policy and names of designated child protection officers (introductions if possible)
• the school/college Health and Safety policy
• the school/college behavioural policy, including what is expected of Aimhigher Associates
• copy of the prospectus (if available)
• names of First Aiders (introductions if possible)
• fire procedures
• password for the toilets/main entrance/staff-room etc
• details regarding payment for refreshments in the staff-room
• information about appropriate dress
• resource availability – where things are kept
• schemes of work for relevant year groups (if available)
• introduction to key school staff such as Learning Mentors, Excellence Challenge Coordinators, Gifted and Talented Coordinators, Child Protection Officers, Receptionists, and any auxiliary staff who individuals are likely to encounter
• tour of the whole school/college, if possible, conducted by the mentees

It is very useful for the mentor to have the opportunity to meet with their mentees in a group situation so that they can meet each other and have an initial chat. It is useful at this point for the mentors to arrange their first session times with their mentees. Therefore, Aimhigher will facilitate a group 'ice-breaker' session to help the Aimhigher Associates and their mentees get to know each other.

How will the scheme be evaluated?
In order to assess the effectiveness of the scheme the evaluation process will involve learners, schools and colleges and the Aimhigher Associates themselves.

When the learners are briefed about the Aimhigher Associate scheme they will complete a questionnaire to establish general information to aid the matching process, to help establish the type of support required and to measure aspiration and engagement levels upon entry to the scheme.

In addition, each learner will be given a journal in which they can write thoughts and feelings, which will also be used as part of the evaluation process. The Aimhigher Associate will be given a similar log book to record the content of the sessions. 

A more in-depth analysis will commence in March 2011. The analysis will include:

• planned interviews with higher education institutions and schools or college coordinators
• focus groups with 2 schools taking part in the scheme. Ideally a minimum of 10 learners will be required with 5 being female and 5 being male.

At the end of the scheme a further evaluation of the Aimhigher Associates will also be carried out, using the same exit and entry questionnaire, in order to establish the impact of the scheme.

How do we find out more?
Full details of the scheme, including timelines, training and selection procedures and what is expected of the Aimhigher Associates, can be found in the School’s Guide to The Aimhigher Associate Scheme.

If your school/college is interested in the Aimhigher Associates Scheme, please click here.