Ages 9 to 14

Mentoring to future success

The Character Journey gives students the confidence, resilience and communications skills to thrive at secondary school.

Character Journey outcomes

The Character Journey pre-empts the biggest challenges students face at secondary school.

  • Readiness

    Feeling prepared for next steps

    Sessions cover life hacks & habits, conflict resolution, wellbeing, starting a business, careers, interviews and more.

  • Oracy

    Speaking, listening and understanding

    Sessions cover situational empathy, active listening, the dynamics of feedback, negotiation and more.

  • Character

    Confidence and self-reflection

    Sessions cover values, goals, motivation, being a team player, social movements, poetry and more.

Timeline

How it works

Step 1

Find the perfect mentor

After getting to know your child, we’ll suggest a mentor pairing based on relevant experiences, backgrounds and matching interests. Our mentors span a huge range of backgrounds from working at the Civil Service and Netflix, to the world of journalism and the West End.

Step 2

Start the Character Handbook

Using framework developed by the Oxford Character Project, mentors and students work through our extensive Character Handbook. The 150-page booklet includes session guides, fun exercises and takeaway tips that focus on the three outcomes: readiness, oracy and character.

Step 3

Monitor progress and next steps

You will receive progress reports following each session from your mentor and regular check-ins from our team. This ensures you have oversight over the process and that we’re working towards the results you’re looking for. 

Metrics that matter

90%

Of parents rate Oppidan mentoring at least 8/10

85%

Of parents report the benefits of mentoring over tutoring

80%

Of parents see a noticeable increase in their child's confidence

Our mentors

Meet our mentors

Frequently asked questions

  • Our ‘readiness’ sessions cover life hacks & habits, conflict resolution, wellbeing, starting a business, careers, interviews and more. Character focused sessions cover values, goals, motivation, being a team player, social movements, poetry and more. Sessions on Oracy cover situational empathy, active listening, the dynamics of feedback, negotiation and more.

  • The programme is for children in Years 4 to 8.

  • Sessions should happen once a week, or every 2 weeks.

  • We’ve designed the Character Journey with the help of world-leading experts on character education, the Oxford Character Project.

  • This programme is designed to prepare students for the social and skill-based challenges they will face at secondary school. It does not help them with the 11+ or 13+ academic requirements but instead instils the behaviour, attitude and habits that are essential for succeeding from Year 8 onwards.

  • Mentors follow our Character Handbook with exercises divided into the three key outcomes.

  • Almost always we recommend a hybrid approach. The first session is wherever possible, in person, to establish a good rapport and thenceforth online to make scheduling easier.

  • We don’t expect you to want or need to change your mentor. Families are permitted one change if things aren’t working effectively.

Start the Character Journey.