The beginning of a new academic year can feel like a fresh start. New teachers, new routines and new opportunities can give young people a chance to reset.
But for some pupils, September can also bring uncertainty.
A young person who struggled with attendance, confidence, behaviour or emotional wellbeing last year may return carrying many of the same challenges. That is why choosing to start the school year with mentoring can make such a difference.
Rather than waiting for a young person to reach crisis point, schools can put consistent, trusted support around them from the beginning.
If you already know which pupils may need extra support this year, early mentoring can help create a stronger foundation for the months ahead.
Why Start the School Year With Mentoring?
The first few weeks of school are very important.
This is when routines are established, relationships begin to form and pupils start deciding how they feel about the year ahead.
For a young person who already finds education difficult, a positive relationship with a trusted adult can provide something important: consistency.
That might mean having someone who notices when they are withdrawing. Someone who can help them work through a difficult morning. Or simply someone they know will be there each week.
The need for targeted support remains significant. Department for Education figures show that 18.14% of pupils in England were persistently absent during the 2024/25 academic year, meaning they missed at least 10% of possible school sessions.
Attendance is rarely just about getting through the school gates. Behind it can sit anxiety, low confidence, difficult relationships, unmet needs or a feeling that education is no longer somewhere the young person belongs.
Mentoring gives schools another way to understand what may be happening underneath.
What Can School Mentoring Support?
Effective mentoring is not about trying to “fix” a young person.
It starts with understanding them.
A mentor can build a relationship over time, creating a space where the young person feels able to talk, reflect and work towards realistic goals.
Depending on the pupil, school mentoring support may focus on:
- Building confidence and self-belief
- Improving engagement with education
- Developing emotional regulation
- Supporting attendance
- Strengthening communication skills
- Managing difficult situations
- Building healthier routines
- Exploring goals for the future
- Developing resilience and independence
The Education Endowment Foundation describes mentoring as pairing a young person with an older peer or adult who acts as a positive role model. It also notes that mentoring can be targeted towards pupils with particular needs or those experiencing low engagement with school.
The aim is not a quick change. It is meaningful progress that can be built on.
Which Pupils Could Benefit From Mentoring?
There is no single type of pupil who needs a mentor.
One young person may be visibly struggling. Another may attend lessons every day while quietly becoming more disconnected.
Schools may consider mentoring for pupils experiencing:
- Persistent or increasing absence
- Low confidence or self-esteem
- Anxiety around school
- Behavioural challenges
- Social, emotional or mental health needs
- Difficulties with friendships or relationships
- Neurodiversity-related barriers
- Family or personal challenges
- Low motivation or engagement
- Difficult transitions between year groups or settings
Early identification gives everyone more room to work.
What Does Mentoring With Lexia Look Like?
At Lexia Education Services, mentoring is built around meaningful connections with young people and helping them move towards their potential. Support is personalised rather than expecting every pupil to follow the same route.
Our mentors take time to understand the person behind the referral.
That means recognising strengths as well as challenges and creating goals that feel achievable to the young person.
Mentoring can support pupils in school and, where appropriate, through outreach in agreed community settings. This flexibility can be particularly valuable for young people who currently find formal education environments difficult to access.
Progress might begin with returning to a lesson, having a difficult conversation calmly or simply turning up to a mentoring session consistently.
Those moments matter because they create something to build from.
Start Support Before Problems Escalate
Schools do not need to wait until a pupil reaches breaking point before introducing mentoring.
Starting earlier gives the mentor and young person time to build trust while the academic year is still taking shape.
It can also give pastoral, SEND and safeguarding teams another consistent source of support around pupils who may need more individual attention.
If you are planning provision for the new academic year, now is a good time to identify the young people who may benefit from mentoring and consider what meaningful progress would look like for each of them.
Give Young People a Stronger Start
September provides a natural opportunity to begin again.
For some young people, knowing there is one consistent adult ready to listen, encourage and work alongside them can change how that new beginning feels.
If your school is considering mentoring support for the new academic year, speak to the Lexia team about the young people you are supporting and what they may need next. Lexia offers a free, no-pressure conversation to explore appropriate support.
Because sometimes the most important first step is making sure a young person knows they do not have to navigate the year alone.
