Teachers: Tell me about volunteering/working in schools please?

[FreudianSlipIntoMyLaptop]

What sort of help do you like to receive from volunteer parents? Reading, crafts, music, maths?

Does this kind of thing ever lead to paid work - most classrooms seem to have a classroom assistant...

I'll stop now before I get too waffly but if anyone can tell me how to go about this I'd be really grateful, I'm starting to think about my route back into work now.

Any of the above.

We have offered supply work to volunteers if they have the right level of qualification.

We have parents who hear readers and other arty ones who do art/technology stuff. These days most adverts for assistant type roles will require a qualification to even get to interview. It is though now possible to do NVQ type qualifications related to children and care roles 'on the job' if you can find a place who will do it -that way you can work in a school while training (not necessarily paid though) but the experience should make you even more employable once you have the qualification too.

I would snap you up for reading .

It has led to paid work for many of our volunteers, escpecially the ones who did an NVQ alongside. Not always in our school though, depends whether a vacancy comes up.

I used to volunteer at DD's school for a few terms when she was in infants. I chose to do it as I wanted to move into primary schools, having been a qualified secondary school teacher (and then adult ed) for several years.

I went in and did general classroom help, although there was no TA in the class anyway (small class of 15). My roles included:

• listening to individual readers
• supporting indidviduals or small groups in class
• small group art/craft sessions
• admin stuff - photocopying, displays, getting books ready for new classes, backing/mounting art work, etc.
• helping with walking children down to sports/swimming sessions
• accompanying trips

etc.

I used it as a way of getting up to date and relevant experience and, from what I was told, got on very well. I did eventully apply for a TA role in a local school and got the job, so had to stop the volunteer work. I loved doing it though.

In the school I work at we do have volunteers in - they listen to readers, take group for baking, help with trips, help with library book change sessions, read stories, help with craft task, etc.

I love having volunteers in class, and it depends what their comfort zone is as to what they do with the children.

I'm a year 6 teacher and at my school they need: Volunteer reading, helping in the library, going on trips, coming in and doing talks
e.g one of my mums came in and did a talk on her father in the second world war.
My school does not like to hire its own mums as there is too much opportunity for gossip in the playground but that might just be my school. However if you wanted to be a TA then having helped in your child's school is a great start although you might be better off going to an 'unknown' school for a job

Forgot to add - some of our parent helpers have been given paid work as TAs, lunchtime supervisors, study support assistants or after school club assistants.

Probably not going to be a lot of vacancies for tas in the next few years.

Thanks all. I am doing a county council CRB for SureStart and at the meeting a lady from the local infant school said they are desperate for whatever they can get helpwise :)

I'm doing some 'developing mathematical thinking' courses (part of OU degree) later this year, for which I 'need access to KS2 learners' - am hoping to do this at the local juniors but I want to reciprocate and provide a lot more help rather than just using it for my own gains IYSWIM.

DD doesn't go to school yet, so I am basically a stranger to the school ATM - what's the best way of approaching them? Letter, email, phone, or in person? Does it require something formal like a CV if it's only volunteering?

I have four parent helpers, so I am very lucky! That's three mornings and an afternoon a week where I get an extra pair of hands .

They are all parents of children in my class, which I know some people don't really like/approve of, but very profeesional about it when they are in. (I have had one pupil in the past whose mum I had to ask not to come in to MY class anymore, as her son's behaviour was so markedly dreadful when she was in, and she then helped in a different class. I wasn't rude about it and she completely agreed with me).

My current four all asked if they could come in and volunteer and I said I'd love them to - as long as it was working out for their children, etc.

I just started doing Toe by toe in ds2's school. It's going well. Don't know if it'll lead to anything more? At least now I have my CRB check done I can help out anytime. I have offered to help with typing etc.. not sure if they'll take me up on it?

I am lucky i have three volunteers (one for reading one afternoon) another one for one afternoon who acts as my TA. (she has gone on to get some regular hours as a TA after volunteering for me last year 4 afternoons a week "to get experience. She still volunteers one afternoon this year because she loves it so much) and i have a 3rd volunteer who is on a TA course and needs 6 hours a week classroom experience so i have her for 1 day away - she does a bit of everything.

As a teacher i would be grateful for any help and would always ask what they prefer to do. Any hobbies or skills like baking, art, sewing, crafts, music would be a massive bonus.

none of my volunteers are parents of children in my class

That's great. I will start finding out on Monday :)

What is the TA course? Is it like an NVQ?

We only employ NVQ level 3 or higher but I know not all schools insist www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/QualificationsExplained/DG_10039029 www.cityandguilds.com/45935.html

I volunteered before I started my PGCE. I rang schools and asked if I could come in - it was pretty easy tbh. Good luck!

8 years ago I was a parent helper at my sons' school, I'm now an Assistant Head

OMG spanieleyes! That's fantastic :)

Can I ask another question about the NVQ thing please. How difficult is it? I've heard that in general they are fairly easy - what would you say they are like for somebody who is good at studying, great A levels, knows about child development etc?

Are they quite time intensive?

Basically what I mean is, I'm doing my OU degree now but this year is very easy compared to the last two in terms of time/effort, so is the NVQ the kind of thing I could do alongside it, or is that an utterly crazy idea?! :o

You shouldn't find the course a problem with A levels you may want to look at a foundation degree rather than a NVQ. To be honest the NVQ students we support are usually straight from school with no life experience behind them