Information for Visitors and Volunteers

Thank you for visiting our school.  We welcome visitors and volunteers in school to support the work of the teachers and provide assistance individually to pupils.      

Voluntary helpers greatly assist in the education of our pupils and make a valuable contribution to the life of the school. The aim of this leaflet is to give you all the information you need to make your time both worthwhile and enjoyable.  Thank you for your support.

Disclosure

There is a requirement for all schools to carry out a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for all staff and volunteers who have regular contact with children.  All schools need to hold a single register of the checks undertaken. In order for you to work in school as a volunteer, you will need to complete an online DBS form, please be assured that all information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Guidelines

• Please sign in at the school office when you arrive to help.  You will be given a visitor’s badge which you should wear at all times.  Please also sign out when you leave. And return the badge.
• If the fire alarm goes during your time in school, please escort the child you are working with to the nearest emergency exit and ensure the child meets promptly with their class teacher outside.  Please ensure that you have reported to the office staff outside.
• There are tea and coffee making facilities in the staffroom.  Please feel free to help yourselves.  If you are able to make yourself a drink a few minutes before or after the lunch time bells, this would help to ease the break time congestion.  No hot drinks are to be taken out of the staffroom unless in a safety mug with a lid.
• All school policies are available for you to read if you feel the information may be useful. Please ask the office staff for this information.
• Please do not lift, carry or move a child in any way.
• Parents, please do not worry if you feel your child is behaving differently because of your presence.  This is very common, and teachers are used to dealing with this.  Most children soon get used to their parents helping in class and settle down after a few weeks.
• If you are a regular helper, it would be useful to let the teacher know if you are unable to come in an email or a phone call to the office would ensure that the teacher doesn’t plan unnecessarily.

Confidentiality

It is very important that all staff, volunteers and other adults working in the schoolwork to a policy of confidentiality.  When you are in school you may hear people talking about individual children or members of staff.  You may observe individual children’s achievements or children struggling with work, being upset or behaving differently to what you might expect.  This is confidential information which may only be discussed with the class teacher.  It may not be discussed outside school.

Ways You Can Help

To best support the teachers, you will mainly be asked to read with individual children.  Strategies to help children get the most out of these sessions are suggested in the leaflet ‘Helping Children to Read’ which you will be given.  Ways to record this are also explained in the leaflet.  Reading with the children takes place outside the classroom.

You may also be asked to work with a small group of children on some practical tasks, such as painting or sewing. These will be explained to you by the teacher.  Please feel free to ask any questions about the activity.  You must also let the teaching staff know of any inappropriate behaviour.

We also welcome volunteers with any particular talents or skills—we want the children to have the richest learning experiences they can possibly have.

Accidents / Illness

Should you have an accident or feel unwell during your visit, please report to the main school office. If you are unable to make your own way to the office, please inform any member of staff about your situation.

You may be asked to complete an accident report form and we would appreciate your      co-operation in doing so.

Child Protection

If you observe or hear something which may indicate that a child is being badly treated or put in danger within school or outside school, it is important that you report it immediately to the Head Teacher (Designated School Leads), or if an allegation is made against the HT to the Chair of Governors, Mr G. Owen. Do not attempt to question the child—instead listen and observe.