The Mentor role
Mentors are at the heart of the programme, whether they work in the classroom or online. Every week, they bring maths circles to life, guiding pupils through challenging and rewarding mathematics and building a community where talent is valued.
The mentor role differs from the MExC. They are responsible for leading their circle and taking attendance. They may also work alongside the MExC on recruitment, retention and coordination of the programme, but their priority is to lead great maths circles.
Who can be a mentor?
Mentors come from diverse mathematical and teaching backgrounds. To become an Axiom Maths Mentor, you should:
- Have a strong conceptual understanding of maths.
- Have experience working with young people.
- Be passionate about maths and about nurturing that passion in others.
How we support you
Mentoring feels different to classroom teaching, and we don't expect you to figure it out alone. Here's how we support you:
- Induction training: run in the summer and autumn for new mentors, and open to existing mentors who'd like a refresher.
- Session resources: for every session, you'll have access to extensive mentor guidance notes, an introductory video for the whole session, and short videos for each individual task highlighting the key concepts to draw out.
- Training videos: covering specific aspects of the programme and demonstrating good practice.
Your responsibilities
Lead high-quality maths circles
- Complete induction before leading your first circle and attend any recommended Axiom Maths training.
- Prepare thoroughly for each session: solve the problems, review the intention of the session, read the mentor guidance notes, and watch the introductory video.
- Run circles with fidelity to Axiom Maths' pedagogical principles, introduced during induction.
- Aim to complete all 30 one-hour sessions per year group each academic year.
- Maintain a viable circle size of at least 6 pupils, identifying and removing barriers to participation, with particular attention to pupils facing disadvantage.
Contribute to Axiom Maths' research
- Complete weekly mentor reflections and termly surveys on time.
- Keep pupil data up to date on the Axiom Maths Hub, including taking a register after each session.
- Participate in at least one Axiom Maths focus group each year.
The ABCs of mentoring
In our experience, the most effective mentors consistently do three things well. We call these the ABCs of mentoring.
Advance plan Understand the mathematical development of the topic before the session. Decide how you want pupils to engage with each task, what you want them to pay attention to, and what you want them to conclude. After each session, reflect on what went well and what you'd do differently.
Bring out the maths Allow pupils to struggle productively — that's where the learning happens. Have high expectations, ask carefully prepared questions, and respond to what pupils already know and understand.
Catalyse conversations Plan questions and prompts that get pupils working together. Use different modes of engagement to draw in pupils and deepen understanding across the circle.