Your Personal Tutor

Each apprentice has a personal tutor, who is an important contact within their academic department.  Your personal tutor will organise meetings to discuss your academic progress, and signpost you to relevant services and support. They will work in partnership with you, helping you to maximise your success and to feel part of the academic community here at Leeds.

Why do I have a personal tutor and how can they help?

Working in partnership and through regular contact you will develop a professional and supportive relationship with your personal tutor. They will: 

  • Assist you in reviewing your academic progress, helping you to develop independent learning skills  

  • Encourage you to reflect on development of your knowledge, skills, behaviours and learning, both within and beyond the formal apprenticeship curriculum, and to consider how it contributes to your future development and career  

  • Support your personal and professional development by signposting to careers guidance, co-curricular opportunities and other services  

  • Listen. Adjusting to university life and being an apprentice can be challenging. There may be times when you would like support in relation to circumstances impacting on your studies or apprenticeship. If you are feeling stressed or anxious you can turn to your personal tutor, they will be able to make referrals to other services in the school, faculty and wider university as appropriate.  

  • In some cases, personal tutors also complete the progress review meetings with you and your employer.

Why should I attend my personal tutor appointments/review meetings?

It is important to optimise your experience by taking responsibility for your academic, personal and professional development by:  

  • Attending and actively participating - following the commitments of your training plan and the university Partnership framework. Confirm in advance non-attendance with good reason and ask to arrange an alternative time.

  • Reviewing the SMART objectives from your previous tripartite review meeting, and considering the progress you have made in terms of knowledge, skills and behaviours, and your professional development.

  • Regularly updating your OTJ Activity Log on PebblePad to record off-the-job learning hours for the apprenticeship, and reviewing this in advance. 

  • Going through the LeedsforLife workbook. Once you have logged in to PebblePad select ‘resources’ to find your workbook. Reflect on your experiences and select sections you may like to discuss with your tutor.  There’s an easy to use quick-start guide here, to get you started.

  • Informing your personal tutor, at the earliest opportunity, of any circumstances that are affecting progress on the apprenticeship or your ability to study, so that you can be supported appropriately.  

  • Following up on agreed 'next steps' - bring any outcomes ready for discussion at the next meeting.  

  • Staying in touch - engage with any communications between meetings.

  • Requesting additional meetings with your personal tutor regarding specific welfare or academic issues 

 If you have concerns about the personal tutor process, you can discuss these with your student support office.