Primary school teachers: what parent help would actually help?

[RainAndRoses]

Hi all-

My son is starting yR in Sep. Being a keen bean I've got involved in the group which is reviving the non-PTA (is not a PTA) after a spell of it being less active.

Whilst there's a big emphasis on fundraising, which is important of course, the thing I'm really keen to get going is connecting parent time and skills to school needs, e.g. encouraging more parents to go in and help with reading/lunchtimes/DIY/ etc etc.

However, it's important what we ask parents to help with is of genuine use to the school. I mean, having to manage a parent on top of a class is not helpful I would imagine. However the teachers (and I guess is partly the time of year) are clearly quite overloaded so don't really have time for a long 1-1 chat at the moment. I want to prepare a few ideas first to go to them with based on what other parents do/have done at the school.

I was wondering if anyone on here had any additional ideas. Here is a current top-of-mind list:

• reading
• lunchtime help
• school trips
• running after school clubs
• DIY
• bringing in a special skill or creating a special activity, linked into curriculum (e.g. instrument, special type of craft, running a maths treasure hunt)
• buying resources needed in a particular class!

Thanks in advance!

Firstly, this is not the time of year to ask. Wait until Sept.

All of those things would be appreciated; however you need to tread carefully or you will end up being (as you said) being a burden.

You should also demonstrate willingness to do this throughout the school and not only in your son's class.

I disagree, some of those ideas sound amazing and very useful. The sort of parent I love. I’d mention it to your son’s teacher now and then they’ve got time to think over the summer. I’ve always found readers, people willing to play language or board games with a group, special skills and art/ craft / science support is great.
Lunchtime, no. Unless you are a midday and employed by the school. School trips can be a bit of a squabblefest, with lots of mums wanting to go. I have to keep a careful note of who has helped.
Two things to consider. See how your son deals with you being in school and not in the mum role. He might find it tricky. Consider offering help to the school, not exclusive to his class. Think about having a comprehensive DBS check, it will increase how many ways you can help.

Thanks. Yes message received. We are hoping to do some canvassing of parents in Sep, to also capitalise on their enthusiasm for the new school year.

Yes, that also came up in conversation and I think would be good to promote. Helpful also to get familiar with the classes your child will be moving into in future.

Cheers.

Oh, and try and find a sympathetic link person to be your go-to teacher with ideas.

Thank you Sumer! V helpful also. We have a home visit from teacher next week so I will mention (with no pressure) then.

I don't think my son would be at all bothered by it, he's pretty independent, but yes, good to be aware of.

As mentioned, what I'm keen to do is help other parents also feed in, in ways which are helpful, and we (the parents group) be able to take care of some of the admin of e.g. keeping track of who's interested in what, so when a teacher needs help, they can easily get it. And from parents outside their year group.

Interesting re: school trips.

Actually at this school they specifically ask for parent help at lunchtime. You have to commit to do it regularly of course, but they are keen.

Thanks again.

Do you mean a link person who is a teacher?

The best thing any parents can do is supplement the teaching! The kids leave primary school at 11 with not a lot of skill and knowledge which is quite scandalous.

Why don't you volunteer as class rep, OP? You're describing that role in what you want to do.
Email the PTA of the school and they should guide you as to how you can become the class rep and what the role involves.

The home visit is about your child. This is a really important visit and it's all about your kid, so dial it back a little bit and give your child the stage during that visit.

You can email the PTA now and get the ball rolling for class rep in September.

Someone to sort out the school library, in whatever ways it needs sorting, and to make it a useful school resource.
Similar to what you have said, but DD's school often had parents come in to the class to talk about their religion, or home country, and these were well received. Parents were then usually happy to be roped into making food from their country at the summer fair/bbq!
My friend's DD went to a school where the DC were encouraged to bring in a book for the library on their birthday rather than a birthday cake (book suitably inscribed as, say, a 5th birthday present from Oliver). I always thought this was an excellent plan, but my friend said it wasn't well received. But I would try and make it clear to parents that you would always appreciate donations of books that children no longer wanted/had outgrown, as a means of expanding the library and/or classroom books.
Running after school clubs if you have a particular talent/interest is great. Especially if free (or covering cost of materials only). Just make sure the classes aren't too big, and that if there is a waiting list that the list actually moves!
One hour a week sharpening pencils, and sticking things in work books.
Someone to arrange/freshen wall displays occasionally.
Main thing is to ensure that helpers are reliable, and that if they are meant to be there on a Monday morning at 9 then they actually are there. It does take time to build up a relationship.

The other thing that is vital is discretion. If you help with children, no gossip or comparing. Otherwise any school worth their salt will drop you in a nanosecond.
A link person who is a teacher is the best-placed to advise you, and to keep communication going.

This is all brilliantly helpful, thank you everyone.

There is no PTA, it's a parents group (I believe PTA's have a certain structure?). There's no formal class rep role at the mo, but it's something I've sort of suggested.

Cheers again.

I didn’t know teachers did home visits.
I’d say reading and times tables booster would be helpful. As would after school club like cooking, science, language, music etc.
Lunch time no as people are paid to do that. You don’t want to be putting someone out of a job.

When ds1 was in p1 (Scotland), I used to go in a couple of afternoons a week and help with groups of painting, or cutting and sticking, or playing board games, or whatever they were doing.

Our school uses parents a lot but works with the strengths of who they get - so a mum who runs a cake business bakes with the kids, other parents help kids do the school gardens or play board games with kids when required, or help hear readers. I've been in a lot this year trying to get back into teaching so the teachers basically used me as an extra TA helping support groups in the class - plus lots of feeding the laminator and filing work and that kind of stuff.

We have to have done a short induction by the head on safeguarding, confidentiality, not being a prat to go in and DBS done as appropriate.

Different teachers want different help though. Some are happier and more confident directing parent help than others - some hate the whole idea of it and I think you have to respect that to some extent.

I would expect any volunteer would need to apply for full DBS clearance. I would also suggest the structure is such that any volunteer doesn't work with the class/year their child is in.

I read regularly with reception and it is well received. I also volunteered to work in the school library. I add new books to the system as they are purchased. Remove old damaged books and keep the place tidy. I have been doing one morning a week for 3 years now.

Definitely the library. Keeping it in order, checking and adding to the stock. We have a school garden and we are always asking for parent volunteers to help with that.
Reliable volunteers to hear readers are fantastic.

Thank you all! I will put together an updated list based on everyone's suggestions and post when I get a chance... R

One of my kids' teachers this year put out a list where parents could list anything that was a particular skill they had to be able to offer - meant they had a list of parents who loved doing arty crafty things, parents who could bake, parents who gardened and the like and it became much more mutually beneficial than them being landed with a helper and trying to find something of use to them to do.

The dynamic's different in different schools and with different teachers though - some schools are much more distant with the parents than others and ours is much more the other way. Some teachers will be fucked off with requests to think about stuff like this for September already, others will be glad to think of what help they would need... and in my kids' school - they're trying to lay claim to the "good" parent helpers in advance for September already apparently!

So, rather later than planned, here’s my summary of the advice from this thread and my own ideas..

Upfront considerations/things to make parents aware of when asking for volunteers:

• Important that any helpers are properly inducted, which might include DBS for some tasks. Discretion and confidentiality is also VERY important. If you help with children, no gossip or comparing. Induction needed on safeguarding, confidentiality, not being a prat ;)
• Some teachers may be more keen for helpers than others, and this should be respected.
• Ideally, volunteers should be up for doing stuff where it is needed/not necessarily always in their own child’s class.
• Some children may be less settled when their parent helps in their class, so need to be sensitive to this (see previous point). Especially at the start of the year as they settle into their new classes.
• Need to have a link teacher who’s happy to be the contact point on this (we may have someone identified for this).
• Reliability is crucial! If parents commit to something, they need to actually do it, otherwise creates more work than it saves.

Possible volunteer opportunities:

• Reading with children.
• People willing to play language or board games with a group.
• Bringing special skills e.g. art/ craft / science support to a class. Bringing in a special skill or creating a special activity, linked into curriculum (e.g. instrument, special type of craft, running a maths treasure hunt)
• Talking about your religion, or home country, or profession, or hobby etc. (Note some parents were then happy to be roped into making food from their country at the summer fair/bbq.)
• Lunchtime help (at this school they welcome this).
• Running after school clubs. Obviously needs to be at least a term’s commitment. Just make sure the classes aren't too big, and that if there is a waiting list that the list actually moves!
• Buying resources needed for a particular class. (Pens, glue, etc).
• School trips (but usually this is a case of too much help being offered).
• Being a class rep.
• Supporting the school library, in whatever ways it needs sorting, and to make it a useful school resource. Add new books to the system as they are purchased. Remove old damaged books and keep the place tidy.
• Donations of books that children no longer want/have outgrown (could be linked to idea of children encouraged to bring in a book for the library on their birthday rather than a birthday cake inscribed as, say, a 5th birthday present from Oliver).
• One hour a week sharpening pencils, and sticking things in work books. Arranging/freshening wall displays occasionally.
• Laminating, filing.
• Cooking with the kids.
• Gardening.
• DIY.
• (Then there’s also helping run one of the fundraising activities.)

Probably if we were to ask people to indicate what (if any) of the above they’d be interested in (say at the start of next year), it would be good to get their ‘top 3’ and then e.g. anything else they might consider. So there’s more chance of linking people with tasks they are actively keen on..

Any further thoughts? Thanks again all.

Sorting lost property!

Also many people can help in a small way, even if they don’t want to commit to much, for example if a parent does a career that they could come and talk to the children about their job, e.g, Doctor, nurse, cake maker, vet, astronaut etc.... 😜. Same for an interesting hobby, or a religion at key festival times. Some of our KS1 parents come in to give little talks at holy times to the children, and share traditional food with the class etc...

I have been a parent volunteer in my child school for over a year now. I basically did whatever the teacher asked me to do, which was anything from sharpening pencils to taking down displays to supervising children during study time.

I saw my time there as an opportunity to learn how she managed a class and if there was anything I could do that made her life easier then I did that. At my school I needed a DBS check and I wasn't allowed to be in a class with my own children. I will echo a pp and say that you need to make sure that whatever happens in the classroom stays there and isn't repeated because you would be asked to leave and not come back.