How will it work in my School?

The Senior Personal Tutor(s) will have developed the implementation policy for the School. This will vary slightly across Schools, reflecting their different nature. School Policies are here.

All Schools will have at least one Senior Personal Tutor.

Core Purpose of Senior Personal Tutor role

To ensure that Personal Tutors understand the expectations and limits of their role including leading regular information and induction sessions, and ensure that Personal Tutors are kept up-to-date with developments in provision and resources
To provide initial advice to Personal Tutors regarding unusual or complex issues and seek more specialist assistance as appropriate
Within the School’s personal tutor policy, work with the Head of School, personal tutor and other colleagues (including Mental Health First Aiders) when students are identified as being in potential difficulty to provide initial support to those students and seek more specialist assistance as appropriate – if appropriate on a no names basis.
To ensure that the effectiveness of personal tutoring within the School is regularly considered and to lead discussion of good practice and any challenges and lesson learned, at School staff meetings always bearing in mind student confidentiality.

Main responsibilities for Senior Personal Tutor role

to report directly to the Head of School (or nominated deputy) with respect to their responsibilities
to have oversight of Personal Tutoring arrangements within the School
to brief Personal Tutors within the School on their responsibilities and to provide feedback to the Dean for Student Support on additional training needs
to provide a single point of contact for Personal Tutors within the School
to deal promptly and effectively with concerns raised by Personal Tutors and Tutees and updating Tutees as appropriate in cases
to offer all tutees the opportunity at least once per year to comment on the provision of student support
to share good practice and challenges experienced (always bearing in mind confidentiality) and develop the pastoral support provided in the University with other Senior Personal Tutors, other leaders of pastoral provision, student representatives and more specialist student support providers via the Senior Pastoral Forum
Engage with other Senior Pastoral Leads to share good practice and explore approaches
Engage with other School and University colleagues with a student support role to develop practice and address individual situations