Learning Mentor

Puss Bank is fortunate to employ a Learning Mentor through the Pupil Premium Funding.

Matt Cooper is our Learning Mentor and he is based at the front of the Nursery & Out of School Club Building, giving easy access to his support for both children and parents.

Mr Cooper’s role is to champion the needs of children who may be facing barriers to effective learning, both inside and outside the school. He works with pupils, teachers, parents, carers, families, schools and other professional agencies to create a plan of action specific to your child’s needs.  Mr Cooper helps children understand their barriers to learning and develop strategies and skills to help make positive choices, progress learning and feel good about themselves.

Parental permission will always be obtained prior to any mentoring work taking place with your child, and your child’s class teacher should always be first port of call if you have any concerns. The class teacher then will refer onto Matt and he will create bespoke sessions around the child’s individual needs.   Areas of support that Matt may focus on could include:

• low self-esteem and confidence building
• social skills
• bullying
• motivation
• attendance  and punctuality
• building friendships
• feeling vulnerable
• family difficulties
• bereavement and illness

Mr Cooper always aims to provide non-judgmental support to any issues for both children and families so that they can move forward in a positive way.