Volunteering Experiences – Primary school

Stefanie Bongert is a Systems Consult at SustainIt and has tutored maths to primary school pupils with Action Tutoring. Stefanie has attended fifteen sessions and shares her volunteering experience below.

SustainIt offers each employee the chance to volunteer for a charity of their choosing for two days, every year. I decided to volunteer with Action Tutoring in Bristol, who support disadvantaged pupils in local primary and secondary schools, by offering tutoring sessions for maths and English.

Every tutor works with the same group of two or three pupils, for one hour a week over the period of one term (8-10 weeks), with the option of continuing the following term.

Why did I volunteer as a tutor in a primary school?

Having previously studied English and Maths to become a teacher, this volunteering opportunity seemed like a perfect fit. The main reason behind my interest in volunteering with Action Tutoring was that I wanted to commit to an entire term as I really think that it is important to only start something that you can dedicate enough time to.

I also particularly like the fact that you work in a room full of other volunteers, working with pupils of the same age group. We get the chance to help each other and share ideas during the sessions, or in our 10-minute catch-up after each volunteering session.

During each session, we try to concentrate on a specific topic, including time for both group and individual work. During the small breaks between longer tasks, we play mathematical games or try the brain teasers in the workbook. Figure 1 shows an example of some of the activities we ask the children to complete. Can you solve the triangle mess and count the triangles?

It is great to see the students enjoying the sessions when we get to a topic they find engaging. Sometimes, they almost forget that they are doing maths.

It has been important to get to know my pupils a little bit during the first session and observe what they enjoy in the following session. It is a great chance to plan the lessons with a mix of tasks they need more practice on, as well as those they enjoy and leave them with a sense of achievement.

Written by: Stefanie Bongert, Systems Consultant

Originally published  https://sustainitsolutions.com/blog/volunteering-at-a-local-primary-school/

If you want to give back to your community and also volunteer like Stefanie in your area or online, get involved today and support disadvantaged pupils by providing them the academic assistance they need.

Olivia’s top tutoring tips to make lessons more engaging

Lesson Ideas For Primary English Tutors

Based on my experience of volunteering with Action Tutoring in two Bristol-based primary schools, here are my top tips for making sessions as useful for the pupils as possible.

Rules

Each week we establish a list of three rules for the pupils to stick by during the session. This acts as a great incentive to keep them focused and working hard. If a rule is broken, the pupil receives a strike next to the rule.

If the pupils succeeded in not getting more than three strikes next to each rule, then they would be rewarded with a sticker at the end of the session. From my experience, incentives such as stickers worked extremely well for keeping the pupils on track and motivated, as they really enjoyed having a realistic and tangible goal to work towards.

The Lesson Plan

While it is widely recognised that the importance of planning ahead is paramount to the success of tutoring sessions, I find that openly discussing this plan with my pupils before beginning the session is just as important. So, although I was always sure to plan ahead, my pupils and I would always make a rough plan of the session all together at the start of the session, which would often just consist of four or five bullet points with a tick box next to each activity.

Having the plan written down was key as it would allow pupils to stay on track, but more importantly, it allowed them to take turns ticking things off the list when an activity was completed, which motivated them to keep pushing on and achieve lots with each session.

For example:

• Play a warm-up game
• Read two paragraphs from the text
• Highlight words we don’t understanding as we go along
• Add 3 new words and synonyms/antonyms to our word journals
• Attempt five questions from the workbook

Games

One of the most engaging tutoring tips for pupils is definitely word games. Starting each session with a game meant that the pupils looked forward to the sessions and, therefore, put them in a positive and eager mindset to learn.

One that always went down well in my sessions the pupils liked to call “the category game”. This involves the tutor choosing one letter in the alphabet, writing a list of 10 different categories (e.g. four letter words, modes of transport, verbs), and setting a timer of three minutes in which the pupils try and come up with an answer for each category. For example, if the letter were ‘B’ and we used the former examples as the first four categories on the list, the first four answers could be: busy (four letter words), bus (modes of transport), and borrow (verbs).

Content

As the pupils would often get bored or easily distracted, I found the sessions to be most effective when we would stick to one section of the text rather than attempting to tackle the whole thing. This would often overwhelm pupils, further knocking their confidence and consequently their productivity.

Sticking to smaller sections would help to keep the tasks manageable, increasing the chance that the pupils would remain engaged.

Do you want to build your tutoring experience? Join our community!

Written by: Olivia Poust

Reflections from a tutor: The Action Tutoring experience

Written by Elaine Garrod

Elaine is a graphic designer working for KPMG and tutors English with Action Tutoring at Chelsea Academy.

It is generally said that moving house is one of the most stressful life events one can have. I dare say general advice would be not to take on other new ventures at the same time, if it can be avoided.

However, one afternoon last spring as I was heading to my work’s restaurant for lunch in a state of angst over my impending house move, I was approached by a man who was trying to recruit KPMG staff members to volunteer for a charity called Action Tutoring. I work for KPMG as a graphic designer and the company allows its staff time during working hours to volunteer with all sorts of charities and activities as part of its ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’.

The man from Action Tutoring explained to me that the charity supports pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve a meaningful level of academic attainment, with a view to helping them progress to further education, employment or training. It does this by getting volunteer tutors to help pupils with maths and English. Despite the pressure I was under at the time, I agreed to become a volunteer tutor. Why, you ask?

I try to live Green Party values, be a useful member of society and do good in the community. In the Green Party, we promote equal opportunities and believe that every child has the right to a good education and the right to have the opportunity to reach their full potential, whatever their circumstances. Children from poorer backgrounds can face challenges such as having to care for younger siblings or sick/disabled parents. They might live in a crowded home and not have anywhere quiet and private to do their homework. They might not get enough to eat. Issues like these can seriously affect the time they have for studying and their ability to focus on their studies, not to mention their confidence and aspirations. I wanted to do something to help them.

To become a tutor you need to have at least ‘A’ Level in the subject you’re going to teach. I can therefore only teach English: as I tell my pupils, if we were in the maths classroom they would be teaching me!

The first steps were to apply for DBS clearance and attend an induction course with other new tutors where I learned some shocking statistics about how poorly pupils from less privileged backgrounds do in their exams compared to their more privileged peers. We were shown the workbooks we would use, although we were told we could use our own material and teaching aids too, so long as we ran them past the coordinator first. We were given a few rules regarding safety for ourselves and the pupils.

Soon after that, I was invited to look through the list of schools where tutors were required and apply for a position. I chose to apply to teach GSCE English to Year 10 and 11 pupils for an hour a week during term time at Chelsea Academy. There are primary school roles available too but they are at 09:00 and I’m not a morning person! The secondary school sessions are in the afternoon.

The benefits to the pupils are fairly obvious: the tutoring, which is one-to-one or in small groups can help them get better grades in their exams which will boost their chances of getting into higher education and a good job. However, there are also benefits for me.

Teaching English writing and reading comprehension makes a change from work for me and inspires me to think more creatively which is useful for my job, as is gaining skills and confidence in teaching as my job sometimes involves buddying apprentices. I find that helping the pupils to understand and analyse different types of text sharpens my own analytical skills and enhances my appreciation of what I read, be it a novel or a newspaper article. I’m always on the lookout for text that I could use for a good comprehension lesson so I read all the more attentively, looking out for interesting structures, forms, and language techniques. I find myself thinking back to books I’ve previously read and revisiting them to mine them for texts to use for a lesson. I’m re-learning a lot as I go along, and reading the different texts with the pupils is broadening the range of things that I read too. Another way in which it is good for me is that while I’m teaching I’m completely absorbed in it and focused on my pupils and their progress: I’m not thinking and worrying about other things (which I’m given to doing).

I was a little nervous before my first lesson as I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from the venue and the pupils. When I arrived at the school I joined the coordinator and other tutors, who are quite a diverse bunch, in the foyer. Most of us were there early so we had time to chat amongst ourselves before being led up to the classrooms (one for English and one for maths) to meet our pupils. I was supposed to have two pupils but only one of them, a Year 11 girl, ever turned up. This was in May, so I only had her for about three sessions before she started her final exams; then we were introduced to our Year 10 pupils. It can be a little awkward at first until we get to know each other. I start off by asking them questions about what subjects they enjoy in school and what they want to do when they leave school, and I tell them a bit about myself, or get them to play a guessing game as to what I do for a living and so forth. Sometimes we then play a game like ‘Taboo cards’ as a warm-up before the lesson proper.

Although we are provided with workbooks, it’s advisable always to have a ‘back-up’ lesson as sometimes we are given different pupils due to absences. Rather than disrupt what I’m doing with my usual pupil, or what my temporary pupil is doing with their tutor in the workbook I find it’s better to do a ‘stand-alone’ lesson in these cases. I’ve found all my pupils to be polite, respectful and hard-working and I hope to continue tutoring for the foreseeable future.

If you’re interested in giving up some of your time to help disadvantaged pupils visit the Action Tutoring website:
https://actiontutoring.org.uk/

Independent Schools: Do They Deserve Their Charity Status?

(Photograph: Peter Titmuss/Alamy)

Depending on your opinion of them, the mention of independent schools can provoke a wide range of reactions. Privileged? Prestigious? Unfair? Unnecessary? But…. Charity?

While this might be somewhat perplexing at first, the most recent Charities Act 2011 defines a charity as an institution which is established for a charitable purpose and provides benefit to the public. The ‘advancement of education’ is a charitable purpose, meaning independent schools are eligible to become charities.

So what benefit does an independent school receive by registering as a charity? Tax relief. According to a study of local council records earlier this year, independent schools are set to receive tax rebates totalling £522 million over the next five years. Charitable organisations in England and Wales are entitled to relief of 80% on the business rates payable on the buildings they use. As a result of this, a large number of independent schools qualify for this relief. Analysis of government data suggested there would be a business rates bill of £1.16 billion over the next five years on the 2,707 properties classified as private schools. However, it is forecasted that only £634m will be paid, with the remaining £522m saved due to the schools’ charitable status. Eton College, for example, would have faced a bill of £4.1m for business rates over the next five years without its charitable status, but instead, it will pay just £821,040.

With this in mind, it is worth revisiting the definition of a charity? Even if institutions can prove their charitable purpose due to the ‘advancement of education’, can they prove their provision of benefit to the public? In days gone by, there was a presumption that any type of charity is for the public benefit. This is no longer the case. In 2008 the chair of the Charity Commission, Suzi Leather, provoked the ire of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) when she warned that independent schools may be stripped of their charity status if they operate as “exclusive clubs” for the rich. She was clear in her assertion that fee-paying schools must prove that children who cannot afford their services will also benefit. While a legal case brought by the ISC in 2011 removed the possibility of independent schools’ charity status being stripped by the Charity Commission, Leather’s comments on public benefit certainly kick-started a shift in thinking on the topic.

Initially, guidance from the Charity Commission viewed bursaries for free or subsidised access as an obvious and, in many cases, the simplest way in which independent schools could provide opportunities to benefit people who could not afford the fees. This guidance has since evolved to include the need for creating formal partnerships between independent schools and state schools. Earlier this year, the Department for Education set up a System Partnership Unit which was designed to support the independent school sector with the brokering of aforementioned partnerships. Once a partnership is created, there are seemingly endless ways in which independent schools can provide time, money and resources to support state schools. Sharing use of sports facilities; performance centres for art, drama and music lessons; laboratories for science lessons to name but a few. The need for an explanation of how the school has carried out its purpose for the public benefit in its annual report is another positive recommendation made by the Charity Commission in its guidance.

While these steps are encouraging, the lack of statutory definition for the term ‘public benefit’ will always allow for a grey area. Without it, actions by independent schools can vary considerably depending on their interpretation of the term. Furthermore, the tribunal in 2011 ruled that trustees of a charitable independent school should decide what was appropriate in their particular circumstances, not the Charity Commission.

With this being said, there have certainly been signs of encouragement in recent years. A number of independent schools have noticeably increased their efforts to be active participants of the local community. We, as a society, must continue to encourage and welcome efforts made by independent schools to forge meaningful partnerships in their local area to benefit all children in the community, irrespective of socio-economic background. While there is still some way to go, we are certainly moving in the right direction.

Why Finland’s education is fair and the best?

Imagine it’s your birthday and a friend throws you a surprise party for you with all your friends there. However, when it’s time to cut the cake, you can cut it how you want, although you cannot choose the slice you want. You may want a bigger slice of the cake, though you may receive a small slice. Therefore, because you do not want to risk getting a small slice, you are likely to cut it into all equal slices for everyone.

This is the concept of Rawls theory of justice. He talks about how we cannot say we live in an equal society unless we know that no matter where we will end up, everyone will still have an equal opportunity. Therefore, everyone will still have the same slice of cake. He called it the ‘veil of ignorance,’ as he mentions we should imagine a state before we are born where we would not know what society we would be in. Would we be happy to end up in any society, or be happy with who we can end up with? Nonetheless, we know this is not the case and people can end up with a single poor mother or they can end up privileged. Society can end up being a good one or a bad one. We know that this all can have an impact on the child’s life achievements.

Some people may debate things are fairer now, however, let’s look at this concept in terms of education. We know not every education system is equal or the same. However, Finland’s education system is ranked at number one and has held the unofficial title as the world best education system in the world. There are five reasons Finland’s education has been debated to be the fairest and most equal in the world. Firstly, in Finland, it is argued that no child gets left behind. All families, for instance, families on a lower income, have childcare which is heavily taken care of. Schools also do not thrive on competition, therefore there are no league tables as they focus and concentrate on making sure every school has a good knowledge.

Secondly, pupils do not start school until the age of 7. They also hardly get homework, only take one standardised test at the end of their secondary school, so there is no pressure on pupils. They also receive 15 mins break each lesson as they believe less is more when it comes to education. They do not waste lessons on their students cramming topics, as they investigate fewer topics and go into more depth with the few. They believe children should learn how to love learning rather than learning for exam tests, then forgetting straight after leaving the exam hall.

Thirdly, teachers are given more respect, the same level of respect for doctors and lawyers, as they need a master’s degree to teach. In Finland, it is harder to get into a school to be a teacher than to be a lawyer or a doctor. Teachers also stated that they feel more appreciated, have more value, respect and trust. Lastly, people debate that Finland has fewer social ills. This means that most people living in Finland are middle class, and there is less economic inequality.

There have been many debates about how adopting some of the theses policies will create a fairer education system in the UK. However, we cannot ignore the cultural differences, as the Finnish society has different values and discourses in how they see what is best for developing people. I am not saying we should abandon our values and take on every educational policy that the Finnish education system has, however, they are a good role model to look at.

Looking at some of the policies mentioned, I believe some of the policies, such as reducing competition, placing more trust in teachers and creating a joy for learning, will create a better and fairer educational system in the UK. This will enable all pupils to have a similar slice of the cake.

The big question is that can our education system be fairer like in Finland, or is this just impossible for the government to achieve?

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How important actually is a C grade?

By Year 11, pupils will be well used to hearing that without a C (or now grade 5) at GCSE maths and English, their future opportunities are severely limited. But, with a surge in advertising for skills based apprenticeships, universities accepting record numbers of new students, and employment figures supposedly on the rise – how important actually is it to get a C in maths and English at GCSE?

Employment

Entry-level retail positions often don’t require GCSE results, and many roles offer career progression once in the company. When asked about their hiring policy, a representative from Lidl told us, ‘You’ll need to be comfortable with numbers, but other than that this is about having a friendly personality, a ‘get-on-with-it’ kind of attitude and a passion for the business’. Further development in the role will not be quashed by lack of formal qualifications either, ‘For store managers, English and maths abilities are important, but we’re not looking for a particular set of qualifications as such.’

If you want to leave school at 16 and start working with children and young people, your options are limited. Secondary school assistant roles will almost always require a C at English and maths GCSE . Primaries sometimes ask for the grades as well, but – like nurseries – will always look for a qualification in teaching or childcare, or a willingness to work towards one. This will definitely require the Cs .

To go into journalism, media or TV you will have to be able to prove a good level of written English, therefore a C (or now a grade 5) at GCSE English is often used as a marker of this. An increasingly popular way to start in the industry is to do an internship. However, internships, and especially paid ones, are highly competitive and many can, and do, ask for applicants to be educated to degree level.

Further Education

So what are the chances of getting a university degree without the Cs at English at maths?
A 16 – year old who gets five A*-C GCSEs, including English and maths, has an 83% chance of getting an A level qualification by the age of 19. This drops to a 57% likelihood of getting an A level if the 5 GCSEs did not include English and maths .

Retaking exams is an option. If a pupil didn’t get the grades, but thinks with a little extra work or with a different environment or attitude on the day they might, they can apply, at a cost, to retake any GCSE exam. The disbandment of the modular system means GCSEs will need to be resat in full, rather than just resitting the module that needs improving. The pass rate for retakes isn’t wholly reassuring. In 2013, just 14% of those retaking English, who did not previously have a C grade, then achieved a C grade or above. For maths, only 13%.

Training

Apprenticeships have a new boost of government attention, as well as introducing a generous levy, the government has announced The Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16 to 24 year olds, paying £1,500 to small businesses hiring a young apprentice for the first time. Although in theory apprenticeships allow you to develop the necessary skills whilst training on the job, some do ask for a C at GCSE maths and English, which will transform to the grade 5 for this year’s pupils. For example, an apprenticeship with phone company EE in their ‘Contact Centre’ (taking customer service calls) does not stipulate any specific qualifications whereas, to undertake a Food Operations apprenticeship with Nestle (learning about the food production of confectionary) you will need 5 GCSEs at grades A*–C including a C or above in maths and English.

What’s Changing?

Now we are seeing an even bigger focus on a benchmark grade for the maths and English GCSE. Getting a grade 5 will enable pupils to be awarded an additional qualification. The EBacc (The English Baccalaureate) is a performance measure awarded when a pupil has got 5 GCSEs at grades 5 – 9 (formally A* – C) including the following subjects: English, Mathematics, History or Geography, the sciences and a language. It has now become mandatory for all pupils starting year 7 in and after 2015 to take the EBacc subjects.

With an added focus on core subject GCSEs at C grade, and employers, apprenticeship schemes and training courses having their pick of applications, coupled with the disheartening success rate of retakes and lowering of status of Functional Skills qualifications, it makes sense for anyone studying for GCSEs to work as hard as they can. Being without that grade 5 may not debilitate them entirely, but it would certainly increase the struggle.

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