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A. Introduction
Volunteer Supporters include parents, Governors or other members of the local community. They are not employed by the School Governors but can be deployed by the Headteacher to help deliver the school's Learning Support Programme drawn up by the Learning Support/Basic Skills Co-ordinator.
This policy is in keeping with the school's aims, its teaching and learning policies, and its policy on equal opportunity. The school is committed to a policy of inclusion: one in which the teaching, learning, achievements, attitudes and well-being of all members of the school community matter. The management and deployment of the school's resources are designed to ensure all children's needs are met. The school seeks to ensure the provision of additional learning support, as well as effective teaching strategies across the curriculum, in order to enable pupils identified as having struggling with basic skills to reach their potential.
B. The Roles and Responsibilities of Volunteer Supporters
i. Role
Volunteer Supporters play an important role in supporting the curriculum work of pupils identified as struggling with basic skills. They work collaboratively within the school by
- liaising with the person responsible for organising volunteer help in the school
- meeting regularly with the person responsible for organising volunteer help and class teachers to discuss the activities they are required to do and any issues
- working with individuals or small groups of pupils under the direct supervision of a teacher or member of staff
ii. Responsibilities
Volunteer Supporters should adhere to general school rules while on the premises and will be expected too:
- let the person responsible for organising volunteer help know if they are going to be late or absent
- avoid physical contact, being left alone or out of sight with pupils
- ensure confidentiality and report anything worrying to the class teacher
- observe the school's rules with regard to Health and Safety
- follow the advice of class teachers to support targeted pupils
- work with individual pupils or small groups on specific basic skills programmes
C. Roles and responsibilities of staff towards Volunteer Supporters
The school regards a supportive approach as the key to the success of the Volunteer Supporter role in helping to raise pupil achievement and confidence. The roles and responsibilities of staff towards Volunteer Supporters are:
Headteacher
- To ensure any Volunteer Supporter who is to work independently outside the classroom has successfully completed a Police check
- To ensure Volunteer Supporters are deployed to make the best use of their individual talents or abilities
Learning Support/Basic Skills Co-ordinator
- To provide an induction programme which will include training in: health and safety and child protection policy and procedures.
- To plan the school's Learning Support Programme and to provide the information, guidance and resources necessary to enable Volunteer Supporters to fulfil their role in that programme
- To ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills necessary for supporting the development of pupils' literacy and numeracy skills within their subject area in order to work effectively with the
Volunteer Supporters
- To support heads of department/subject co-ordinators in drawing up policies on the role and deployment of Volunteer Supporters in their curriculum areas
Teaching Staff
-To share all relevant information with the Volunteer Supporters e.g. tips to build confidence with individual pupils
-To ensure Volunteer Supporters are not left alone or out of sight with pupils
-To make Volunteer Supporters aware of any potential Health and Safety hazards within the area they are allocated to work
- To report any concerns to the person responsible for organising volunteer
- To provide appreciation and recognition of the contribution of the Volunteer Supporter
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