TransformELT with Norwich Institute for Language Education (NILE) designed a schools-based mentorship programme for the British Council Ukraine between January and March 2021. This included guidance on how to select appropriate mentors according to specific criteria; mentor roles and responsibilities; timelines and tools required for successful implementation; and monitoring and evaluation in schools.

The project included developing a 36-hour mentorship training course delivered remotely with a blend of synchronous and asynchronous sessions localised to the Ukrainian context for 100 selected teachers from ‘model’ schools.

We also facilitated a post- training implementation of the programme in schools by providing remote support to the trained mentors through online sessions and feedback on asynchronous tasks and activities.

Baseline information helped designer the pilot scheme tailored appropriately to contextual needs of the 2017 ‘New Ukrainian School’ reform to fill the current gap in bottom-up CPD provision for English teachers. The School-Based Mentoring Project in Ukraine has been informed by the key findings from research into a similar scheme delivered by the British Council in India.

Various tools were used to monitor and evaluate the course and the implementation of the programme. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive and the project aims were met. We look forward to being involved further in this project in 2021-22.