To think the time I spend volunteering at my local school is pointless?

[Litchick]

Some time ago the Head of the local primary school told me none of the parents would volunteer to listen to reading/helping out etc and wondered if I'd do it.

I agreed and since then have been asked to do more and more things. I'm currently there sveral hours a week.

It is not a great school with poor outcomes for its pupils and I feel very sad and cross that this is the best some children get. I think I had unrealistic hopes for what coud be achieved and I now think the time I'm spending there is pointless.

Nothing has changed. The parents still don't give a shit, the teachers are demotivated, the pupils don't seem to enjoy school...

I feel guilty about feeling this way. So please tell me IABU.

Litchick - how great for the kids to get a bit of time and attention from someone who cares enough about them to do it voluntarily. Some of these kids will be starved of affection/attention and while it may seem like a drop in the ocean to you, you could be the highlight of some poor child's day. But I've done this in the past so I know what you mean. There was one kid I used to try and sit with who was never motivated to do anything and clearly had no support at home. I used to make a point of getting him to get his weekly spellings out whenever we had a few spare minutes in class and we'd practice them together. He was so pleased when he started getting good marks in his spelling tests. This was a few years ago and he's quite an intimidating-looking teenager now but he always gives me a lovely smile whenever we pass in the street.

Furthermore, how nice for the HT to invite you in. Whenever I've volunteered I've always wondered if the school would really rather I wasn't there!

Finally, if the school is as bad as you say, then, a caring, articulate person like you should be on the governing body and doing what you can to get the school to improve. Ask the HT when the next vacancy is coming up.

PLEASE stick at it!!

I actually think you're in a very difficult position on the one hand how much worse would it be for the children if you left but on the other hand the more people like you do the less the school has to pull it's socks up.

Litchick, I think I remember you from another thread - this isn't your kids school is it - just a local school that you've volunteered to help out in.
I know a lot of us were hugely in awe of you on that thread - really a wonderful thing to do for these children.

I wonder if there's anything you can do to try and get more help, so that you don't feel so alone, and have a potential exit strategy without feeling you're letting the school or the kids down?
I sometimes think schools end up with a culture of parents not getting involved, and it becomes a self fulfilling prophesy, iykwim. Could you organise some drives to get more parental involvement - reception always seems like a great place to start, as those mums are still relatively fresh I'd try and go with personal contact rather than/as well as letters in book bags - wandering along the pick-up queue say! And maybe ask the teachers if they can talk to specific parents who they think might be more likely to volunteer Maybe suggest a meet-up straight after morning drop off for anyone who'd like to help out, then you might get a few people who would feel less isolate.
I'd stress that
-it doesn't have to be a firm, weekly commitment

• mums/dads can help out at home (eg cutting out) or in the school
• you need a range of skills - from reading with the kids, to helping them plant a few bulbs, to cutting and pasting etc (bearing in mind of course that not everyone will feel comfortable with literacy/numeracy type stuff)

Feel free to tell me I'm living in cloud cuckoo land (I do know how tricky it can be to get parents to help out in schools!), but I guess I'd feel like the more the parents can feel at home in the school, the better for everyone

I think you are doing a wonderful thing.

Those kids will probably look back on time spent with you positively.

It's sad that nothing major is being done to change the situation..but hopefully you've had an effect on someones life.

I think you've hit the nail on the head.
I want an exit stategy - a bit like Gordy, I want the locals to take over, I think.

And not only because I don't want to do it anymore, but I do genuinely believe that if the pupils' parents volunteered the children would feel more inclined to take it seriously.

Also if the parents helped thy would be more supportive at home.

But it's chicken and egg, no?

I think you're right though, reception might be just the placre to start.

I suspect that would be the best thibng for everyone involved. But I don't underestimate the challenge of making it happen - it's not going to shift overnight... IS it something where you could ask the head and heads of years to get together with you & chat through what you could all do together to increase parental involvement in the school - make it something you are happy to spearhead, but that for it to happen you'll need the school's active support.
YANBU, at all, although I do think it's really sad that you're left feeling this way. I hope the school appreciate what an asset you are

Has the Head asked other parents individually rather than just via letters from the school?

Catwalker's "Whenever I've volunteered I've always wondered if the school would really rather I wasn't there!" sums it up for me too.

I think I'm not much of an asset at all at the moment because I'm such a bloody grumbler .

As for whether the head has asked others personally - not recently.
I know before she asked me that she tried to get them involved, but to no avail.
TBH hardly anyone turns up at parents evening and the odd things we've organised since have been like the Marie Celeste.

The teachers ( well some of them) openly say that the parents don't give a shit and I do see why they think that.

It's all become a self fullfilling prophesy.

Litchick don't give up but do stop grumbling

If hardly anyone is turning up at parents evening then maybe the whole format of it could be changed.

Drop off and pick up times are when parents need to be approached. Maybe they could be invited to a parent and toddler session in the school hall and a few free members of staff (and you of course) could just mill around and chat to them about what they think the school could do better. Ask them what sort of 'outreach' events they prefer (from a list of possibilities) and perhaps even speak (for a few minutes at the end of the P&T session) about what the research says about parental involvement and the success of children at school.

Have you been formally introduced to the parents - do they know who you are?

How about asking for an official TA contract so you can get some money for your time?

That might focus the HT's mind a bit.

How about the HT talking to the LEA advisor about parental involvement? I could well imagine that if every time someone dips a toe in the water they end up doing 10 hours a week, it would put anybody off.

And what about some input from the partnership secondary school? Again they may be able to help.

You are a star Litchick but ending up grumbling and demotivated is pants. Tell the HT you will finish at Christmas?

Maybe the poor outcomes are not just the fault of the school but the parents that cant give a toss.

I helped out in a school one day a week for a few months earlier in the year and then due to a change in my circumstances had to stop. In that time I read with a lot of yr2 and yr4 children (my own kids were in yrs 1 and 3) and was shocked by the complete lack of support some of thses kids recieve from home. I had a couple of yr4 kids whose parents had`nt bothered to listen to them read at home for months. These kids were great and hugely engaging in the classroom, very bright and have enormous potential but the parents cant be arsed.
Unfortunately this is also the case of some kids who struggle with school work and could do with some extra curriculum classes but again mum and dad cant be bothered.

If they cant be bothered to help their own children at home (yes it is very frustrating and god I wish I could say something to these people) then what chance is there that they will come and assist the school?

I wonder if it might be more effective to focus on getting the kids to volunteer in the community/help each other (e.g. buddy reading scheme between year 6 and year 1) rather than bashing heads against brick walls).