For safeguarding, mentoring with Sixth Form pupils takes place only through Marymount Network messages. While it’s different from face-to-face mentoring, it can still be highly effective and flexible. 

Online mentoring gives both mentor and mentee time to reflect before replying, often leading to more thoughtful and creative conversations. It also creates a helpful record you can revisit, and many people find they feel more comfortable opening up in writing. At the same time, written communication can sometimes be misunderstood, so clarity is important. 

A good approach is to take time to get to know each other, agree how often you’ll communicate, and keep messages clear and focused. It also helps to pause and reflect before replying, and to regularly check that you’re both on the same page. 

When guiding conversations, these questions can help: 

• What would you like to explore? 
• Why is this important right now? 
• What do you already know or feel about it? 
• What outcome are you hoping for? 

Every so often, take a moment to summarise what you’ve discussed and reflect on progress together. This helps keep the mentoring focused and meaningful.