Voulnteers

The school welcomes volunteers as additional support for children’s individual needs. In order to support learning, volunteers need to be able to understand and follow instructions given by the teacher. This means volunteers must be able to read, speak and write standard English and complement the work of the staff in the classroom. Volunteers may be asked to work with an individual or group, alongside staff and supervise children at play, tidy up, prepare resources and organise displays.

The Deputy Headteacher is the lead teacher for volunteers and will assess the suitability of anyone applying and the school’s requirements. The Deputy Head will brief volunteers on the routines and structure of the school day as well as essential policies regarding health and safety, child protection and equalities.

 

                                                                              

Child Protection

In the interests of child protection, all adults in school must be police checked for their suitability to work with children. Once a request to volunteer is accepted, a form from the Disclosure & Barring Service (formerly CRB) will be given to volunteers to complete and return to school for checks to be carried out prior to them starting.

Although the role of volunteering is unpaid, it is essential that all adults in school are committed and hardworking, setting a good example to the children and helping to maintain an ethos of high standards and expectations.

It is vital that agreed dates and times for volunteering are adhered to and that the school is notified if a volunteer is unable to come into school as planned, in order that teachers can properly organise and plan the school day.

If there are any concerns about a child, they must be reported to the class teacher or the designated Child Protection Officer (Headteacher). Any other concerns or queries which cannot be answered by the class teacher should be discussed with the Deputy Head.

We hope volunteers gain as much from their experience of working with us as we will from the support provided.