Parents Handbook

 Our Ethos: 

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Welcome to Marlow Mentors. There's a problem in the UK with our Education System. Too many children are not getting the attention they need to excel. We believe that all children thrive when they feel supported, motivated and are having fun when learning, so this is what we offer.At Marlow Mentors we believe in the transformative power of education beyond textbooks. As a passionate and experienced primary school teachers, we have witnessed firsthand the importance of developing not just academic prowess but also the essential life skills that shape a child's character and pave the way for a bright future.

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Our Aims: 

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Empowering Minds, Fostering Confidence: Where Academic Success Meets Personal Happiness. Building Foundations, Igniting Futures: Your Pathway to Senior School Success. 

 

Our Approach: 

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We provide small group tuition for pupils in Years 1-6 in English, Mathematics and Eleven Plus in Henley-on-Thames and Marlow. 

 

We provide holiday workshops for Creative Writing, Life Skills and Eleven Plus Revision Courses. 

 

• Holistic Development: ​

  • Our mission goes beyond helping students ace exams. We are dedicated to fostering a holistic approach to learning that encompasses not only academic achievements but also the critical life skills necessary for success in the real world. 

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• Building Confidence: ​

  • Confidence is the cornerstone of success. We understand that a child’s academic journey is entwined with their self-assurance. Our tutoring sessions are crafted to instil confidence in each student, empowering them to tackle challenges with resilience and a positive mindset. 

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• Developing Resilience: 

  • Life is filled with ups and downs, and learning to navigate them is a vital skill. As mentors, we am committed to modelling resilience and guiding students through challenges, teaching them to bounce back stronger and more determined.  

 

• Communication Skills: ​

  • Effective Communication is the key to unlocking opportunities. Our tutoring goes beyond subject matter expertise to focus on honing communication skills. From public speaking to articulating ideas, we strive to equip students with the tools they need to express themselves with clarity and confidence. 

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About Rebecca (founder) 

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As an experienced primary school teacher and tutor, I have worked with a variety of children across different settings. Whether that is private, state, international schools or even on the ski slopes as a ski instructor, I believe that all children thrive when they feel supported, motivated and are having fun when learning. 

 

Contact Details: 

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Email: hello@marlowmentors.co.uk

Phone: 07873959472 

 

Venues:

 

Marlow: 

Marlow C of E Infant School 

Sandygate Road 

Marlow 

SL7 3AZ 

 

Henley-on-Thames: 

Valley Road Primary School 

Valley Road 

Henley-on-Thames 

RG9 1RR 

 

Term Dates:

 

Autumn Term

First Day Of Term 4th Sep 2024

Half Term begins 28th Oct 2024

Last Day Of Term 19th Dec 2024 

 

Spring Term

First Day Of Term 6th Jan 2025

Half Term begins 17th Feb 2025

Last Day Of Term 4th Apr 2025 

 

Summer Term

First Day Of Term 22nd Apr 2025

Half Term begins 26th May 2025

Last Day Of Term 11th Jul 2025 

 

Equipment:

 

Your child will need to bring a pencil case with them. We provide work folders with clear sleeves to put work in. Homework will also be sent home in this and the date will be on the top so the folder can be organised chronologically. 

 

For Eleven Plus Workshops parents will be charged £10 for the printed work and homework books. 

 

 

 

Policy Documentation:

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Feedback and Marking Policy: 

 

• Aims

  • At Marlow Mentors marking and feedback are used to monitor and encourage progress and to ensure consistency for pupils, parents and tutors of Marlow Mentors.

 

• Objectives

  • Provide continuity and progression for pupils and encourage them to self-evaluate

  • Acknowledge each pupil’s efforts

  • Inform pupils, parents and tutors of progress and identify specific areas of strengths and areas for development

  • Inform future planning and assessment and provide an overall and continuing record of each pupil’s achievements

 

• Approach

  • Work is marked promptly and as much as possible in the presence of the pupil and their work is celebrated with them with constructive and encouraging feedback

  • Children are praised and given encouragement to work to the best of their ability

  • Effective marking promotes self-esteem and high standards 

  • Each pupil has a folder where they keep their work as a record of their group work and homework and pupils are expected to keep these tidy and will get stickers for doing so

  • Work is marked using a star and a wish - a star for a positive comment based on work the pupil has completed and a wish suggesting a next step or a target for the pupil in order for them to improve further. 

  • Parents will have a log sheet (provided in the pupil’s folder) where they can respond to the star and wish and write any comments about their child found the homework

  • Some subjects and pieces of work lend themselves to being marked out of a total, eg calculations 

  • Marking is done in a colour which clearly distinguishes the tutor’s from the pupil’s writing and when marking their own work, pupils are encouraged to use a different colour

  • Spellings and errors in punctuation are corrected sympathetically

  • In written work three incorrect spellings at most will be selected and written at the bottom of the page where the pupil will be expected to write these spellings out three times

  • Rewards are given as an incentive in the form of stickers

 

• Symbols Used in Marking 

  • These symbols are used by tutors when marking:

  • A tick mark is given for a correct answer

  • A dot is given for an incorrect answer 

  • “ Speech mark needed

  • Sp. Incorrect spelling 

  • . Full stop needed 

  • , Comma needed 

  • ? Question mark needed 

  • ! Exclamation mark needed

  • / New line needed

  • // New paragraph needed 

  • CAP Capital letter inserted or crossed out and corrected 

  • H Pupil has had a significant amount of adult help with this question 

  • I Pupil has worked independently 

  • V Verbal Feedback given

 

• Parental Feedback

  • At Marlow Mentors we value our relationship with parents and pupils and know that pupils achieve the best outcomes if tutors, parents and pupils work together and communicate well. 

  • Tutors always love to discuss pupils with parents and often have other groups to teach so might not be able to stay and discuss at the end of a session.

  • With this in mind we encourage parents to email tutors if there are any queries, questions or concerns and the tutor will email back within 48 hours. 

  • Parents will be sent a weekly ‘Take 5’ email which includes a summary of the lesson and a PDF of homework as well as ideas of how to support at home and language to use when teaching this concept. 

  • There are also termly parent - tutor meetings online or in person, which will be arranged by Rebecca.

  • We have end of term learning celebrations where parents come in and have a book look with pupils, parents and tutors. 

 

 

 

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