Volunteer Classroom Assisting

Volunteering at Belmont School

Sixth Form pupils volunteered to help at Belmont Special School for the day. 14 Sixth Form pupils helped all the pupils at Belmont. This has started as a single event but, as the Head of Belmont has written, this should develop into something more sustained.

The aim of the day was to support the outstanding work of the Belmont School teachers and for the Dean Close pupils to both offer that support and also give back to their local community. The member of staff in charge of the Community Action Programme at Dean Close approached Belmont with the offer for some of our students to help for a day, which was gratefully received. Pupils and staff gave their time, energy and enthusiasm for this event.

The impact is assessed by the written feedback from both Belmont staff and the Dean Close pupils. For example:

'I am Kevin Day, Head from Belmont Special School (an educational neighbour to Dean Close).  I felt compelled to write following a number of your post 16 students visiting and working with my students and staff today.  Your students were an absolute credit in every respect today, Belmont has worked with a number of schools in recent year and all the young people have been reliable and honest, but very few cohorts have also demonstrated such character and initiative as the Dean Close students today. It has been great linking up today and I hope our schools can continue to work together in the future. Please thank the staff involved.'

 

Volunteer help at Bettridge School

Sixth Form pupils volunteered to help at Bettridge School for the Community Action Day. Bettridge staff welcomed volunteers to support them in their work and this is an important learning experience for the Dean Close students. All parties benefit from the day. 6 Sixth Form pupils from Dean Close were involved spending time with some of the pupils at Bettridge of different ages. This is an annual event but there may be more regular volunteering opportunities as a result.

The member of staff in charge of the Community Action Programme contacted Bettridge to ask if volunteer Sixth Form, pupils would be welcome for the day. Similar visits have been made over many years on an ad hoc basis.

This partnership only requires the time and positive attitude of the Dean Close students, accompanied by a member of staff. The impact is assessed by verbal and written feedback after the event. One Dean Close pupil, who joined the school in the Sixth Form only three weeks before the visit wrote:

'I just wanted to say a huge thank you for today. I wasn't meant to be doing this at first but I ended up going to Bettridge School and I cannot stress how much I benefitted from it. I think we live in a community that is under informed about disabled people, the stress that it can have upon a family and the facilities that need to be provided, as they need so much attention and care - especially when they are children. I was put with a class of children aged 10-11, who couldn't read and do any of the basic things that you would expect a child of their age to be able to complete. The experience was eye opening. I have never spent such a long period of time with them and been able to make an actual connection. The morning was both heart warming and heart wrenching and coming away from it has actually made me quite emotional. Society judges these people because they look 'different' or they act in a way that isn't seen as 'normal' to us and it makes me really upset because all they can think of to do in response, is to laugh. Laughing of course, isn't the answer and neither is crying for that matter but helping is. I can only imagine what a struggle it must be for these schools to find staff, volunteers, the correct health professionals, funding for vital equipment etc etc etc to make these places (that are SO beneficial) even function on a day-to-day basis. I feel like I have really given back to my community today and that I have learnt even more about society and the many different people that we have thriving within it. I would love to do it again.'

Volunteer help at St James

St James welcomed Dean Close Sixth Formers into their classes as Teaching Assistants for the day. The two aims were for the Dean Close Sixth Formers both to support the work of the teachers at Warden Hill as well as to experience the opportunity to give that support and develop their communication and social skills. This required a willingness for the classroom teachers to have older pupils in their lessons and for the Sixth Former pupils to be positive and engaging with much younger pupils.

 The member of staff in charge of the Community Action Programme at Dean Close approached the Primary School Office with the offer for some of our students to help for a day, which was gratefully received. Oral feedback from both St James' teachers and from our Dean Close pupils enables the impact to be assessed, as well as the invitation to return more regularly!

This is the first event but it is hoped by both schools to be something to be continued in the future regularly.

Volunteer Teaching Help at Warden Hill

Warden Hill welcomed Dean Close Sixth Formers into their classes as Teaching Assistants for the day.

The two aims were for the Dean Close Sixth Formers both to support the work of the teachers at Warden Hill as well as to experience the opportunity to give that support and develop their communication and social skills. This required a willingness for the classroom teachers to have older pupils in their lessons and for the Sixth Former pupils to be positive and engaging with much younger pupils. The member of staff in charge of the Community Action Programme at Dean Close approached the Primary School Office with the offer for some of our students to help for a day, which was gratefully received.

Visit to Belmont School

Sixth Form Pupils visited Belmont School to help with a day's activities. The Dean Close pupils were involved in several activities to benefit the Belmont pupils and the Belmont staff were delighted with how the visit went.

The aim of this partnership is to enable Dean Close pupils to develop their skills in supporting the staff at Belmont in looking after their pupils. This requires the Dean Close pupils to have a genuine interest in this and to cooperate with the Belmont School staff in helping with important activites for their pupils.