Mr Jamie Maguire, Learning Support Worker
Our Youth Worker, Jamie Maguire, provides Nurture support for any young person in Anderson High School that needs it.
One-to-one Support Sessions
In the one-to-one sessions, Jamie and Keira provide support that is entirely young person led and tailored to what the individual needs. We lend a listening and non-judgmental ear to any young person who needs it. We support young people to build their confidence, self-esteem and resilience and can guide students who are struggling to engage with school and/or have social, emotional and behavioural support needs. We can also help with decision making, goal setting and planning for the future. The ultimate goal is to raise attendance, engagement and attainment for any young person who is finding something challenging and generally make them feel better at school and in life.
Services we offer
We currently run an 8 session 1-to-1 program called LIAM (Lets Introduce Anxiety Management) which gives young people an understanding of why they might be experiencing anxiety and provides some tools to help reduce and manage their anxiety.
We are also supporting with another anxiety management program called The Decider which is run as small groups.
Young people can also be referred to YST (Young Scottish Talent), young people are supported by the Pathways Coordinator on a 1 to 1 basis, to build a positive relationship within the school. They can attend Talent Tasters; an hour with an employer of their choosing and when in S3 to S6, a mentor can be provided for them.
How can a young person be referred to us?
A young person can approach us themselves or be referred through pupil support.
When do sessions take place?
They usually take place for one period a week at a time that fits with the young person’s individual timetable.
Where do they take place?
Our Youth Work Office is room 0.53 on the ground floor of AHS. Additionally, we have use of a group work room on the second floor in AHS. The sessions can also take place outside or over a coffee if that helps the young person feel more relaxed. We are very flexible to the needs of the people we are supporting.
MCR Pathways is a school-based mentoring programme that connects young people who need additional encouragement and support with caring, adult mentors. We recruit, train and support volunteer mentors who meet their mentees weekly, in school, for a minimum of a year under the Young Scottish Talent Programme.
Our MCR Pathways Co-ordinator – Kiera Tulloch
Kiera is here to help young people who are accessing MCR in any way she can. She helps them get started on the programme and get the most out of it! She organises and runs the group work activities in S1 and S2. These sessions are lots of fun and involve chat, games and other activities. She also runs our mentoring programme and helps match young people up with an employer from the community to is there to help them achieve their goals both in, out and beyond school. Lastly, she can also help with things like organising work experience and College or University visits.
Kiera works in room 0.53 near the entrance to AHS. This is where she usually meets young people one-to-one:
Group Work
In S1 and S2, young people work with their Pathways Coordinator and participate in weekly group work sessions. These are focused on building confidence and life skills, and also improving Literacy and Numeracy levels. This allows the Coordinator to also get to know the young people and chat to them about having a mentor when they reach S3.
Group work usually takes place in room 2.30 in AHS which is our Group Work Room:
Mentoring
Mentoring is at the core of the MCR Pathways Programme and from S3 onwards, young people in the YST programme can be matched with their own mentor. Mentors help their young person engage with their education and build the self-belief they need to leave school to a positive destination. Pupils meet with their mentor once a week, for a school period and receive guidance, encouragement and support. Mentoring is focused on helping young people to build confidence, self-esteem and goals for the future.
An independent survey by ScotCen found that 81.6% of mentored school leavers progressed to positive destinations (full-time employment, further education, or higher education) compared to 56.3% of care-experienced non-mentored young people.
The Young Scottish Talent programme is run by the school’s Pathways Coordinator who helps young people by running mentoring, group work, and Talent Tasters.
Talent Tasters
Talent Tasters are a chance for young people to try out work, further and higher education and cultural experiences through manageable, bite-sized sessions. They are designed to engage and inspire pupils with hands-on learning opportunities. Talent Tasters are organised for S3-S6 young people. They provide more opportunities for young people to find their talents and focus on the pathways to achieve their ambition.
We are actively looking for volunteer mentors across Shetland. If you are interested in becoming a mentor please visit our website to register for more information at www.mcrpathways.org
