The pupils participating in the Playing for Success Programme benefit from a very high staff to pupil ratio during the sessions. Each session is led by a qualified teacher and supported by 2 experienced and up to 3 Volunteer Mentors. The Volunteers are recruited in partnership with ‘Newham Volunteers’ who also support the Volunteers and can provide further training opportunities for them. The Volunteer Mentors commit for a 10-week placement at the study centre during which they complete most of their Level 3 in 'Introduction to Mentoring’ course. Open College Network, is a nationally recognized awarding body helping people to achieve their goals through learning, regardless of their age, background or previous education. Level 3 is comparable to NVQ3, A-level and AS-Level. OCN credits are nationally recognized and accepted as means of entry to further study and by employers and trainers.

After the initial 10 weeks the volunteers will continue their Volunteer Experience with a specialist placement within another Learning Community project such as Saturday school, Homework Club or an After School Club. The Volunteers are expected to use this placements to write a case study for their OCN Portfolio.
If you are interested in Mentoring and would like to gain experience in working with young people – please complete our online application form. You will find the link on the left hand side of this page. If you prefer to fill in the form by hand click on the Application download link. Application Download

OCN in Introduction to Mentoring Skills e-learning platform: