Pupils sum up potential (From Barry And District News)

Pupils sum up potential

DOW Corning's Barry employees will be lending a helping hand to secondary school pupils in a new maths mentoring scheme.

The aim is to help students understand the importance of maths in everyday life.

The scheme, believed to be the first of its kind in South Wales, will see around 30 Dow Corning employee volunteers - from laboratory technicians to the site manager - visiting Barry Comprehensive and Bryn Hafren Comprehensive.

The sessions will take place every week, over an eight-week period for Year 7 and Year 8 pupils. Each pupil will be assigned a personal mentor who will give them the support and encouragement to achieve their potential.

There are also plans to include St Richard Gwyn Roman Catholic School in the scheme.

Jonathan Coldman, community relations co-ordinator at Dow Corning, said: "Many students become disillusioned with maths early in their secondary education, and we aim to help students realise the importance of maths and make it fun.

"Our scheme is about mentoring in its truest sense - we are not going into schools as teachers but, hopefully, as pupils' friends.

"We will mentor the same students each week and by talking, listening and understanding them, we hope to help and encourage them to improve their maths.

"Our approach is to get pupils talking about how maths is used in everyday life and to demonstrate how maths is important to our jobs.

"Through our coaching, it is hoped we can help identify their weaker areas and help the students find solutions to overcome them."

The initiative began at Dow Corning's Kentucky site in the USA, where a maths coaching scheme has been running for a year.

Barry staff decided to adopt a similar initiative, in partnership with Careers Wales Education Business Partnership and the Vale of Glamorgan Council's maths adviser. Both organisations have helped Dow Corning develop the scheme and provide training for mentors.

John Comissiong, Vale of Glamorgan Council's maths advisor, said: "We are delighted by the high number of volunteers from Dow Corning who have agreed to take part in this exciting initiative.

"The pupils will not only benefit academically from the scheme, but their self-esteem and motivation will increase as they engage with professional industrialists who are willing to show an interest in them."