Big Tick Winner

John Lewis - St Roch's School

Merrill Lynch Award for Education supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families

We have seen added value for our Partners through improved coaching skills and engagement with our business and we have seen an improvement in the attendance records of the mentees. The scheme has given benefit to our business and to the community in which we trade. I am delighted that the hard work of the pupils and our mentors has been recognised through this Big Tick Award.

Lesley BallantyneManaging Director, John Lewis Glasgow

Since 2005 John Lewis Glasgow has worked in partnership with Saint Roch’s School. The input from the company includes mentoring of students, donations to the school, work placements and support to teaching staff.

Processes

The school is based in a deprived community that has a significant asylum-seeker community and high instances of drug/alcohol addiction in the broader community.

The most significant part of the partnership involves mentoring of third and fourth-year secondary students (equivalent of Yr 10/11 students) in the school. Mentors from John Lewis are given the freedom to use their own experiences and coaching skills and are supported by an informal support network within the branch. Mentoring seeks to improve the pupils’ understanding and awareness of business and to raise self-belief and motivation.

Impact

Since 2005 the branch has spent 1,200 hours on the mentoring programme.
Over 50 students have benefited from involvement in the mentoring programme.
Of those pupils who were mentored, 77 per cent improved or maintained their attendance record, 61 per cent showed an improvement in timekeeping, and 91 per cent exceeded their predicted Preliminary targets.