Barnardo’s is committed to providing ‘Better Outcomes for More Children’. Our children’s services volunteers help the charity to deliver essential services in local communities, providing support to over 300,000 children, young people and their families. This role provides a great opportunity to join our fantastic children’s services and help make a real difference. **Teaching and Learning Mentors** provide a vital role in ensuring children and young people with a complex range of special needs, can access learning opportunities and reach their potential. **Teaching and Learning Mentors** support both the planning and delivery of learning opportunities within the classroom, providing support on a one-to-one basis, as well as facilitating group and class based activities. We are looking for volunteers, who are able to use their initiative, work independently, be firm but fair, and build positive relationships with children who have a complex range of special needs. Volunteers need a calm and patient disposition, a willingness to listen and the ability to be assertive when the situation demands it. If you have high expectations of learning and behaviour, and a belief in the capacity of every child to achieve, we would love you to join our team. **Meadows School** is a successful non-maintained special day school (for 7-19 year olds) on a main campus and off-site junior provision run by Barnardo's, providing education for pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties; autistic spectrum conditions, speech and language difficulties and associated learning difficulties. Our school day run from 8:40am until 3:30pm, and volunteering in this role would need to be within these times.
Could you support with classroom activities to give extra help to individual or small groups of children and young people?
Tasks: Planning the learning for a sequence of lessons or topic.
Leading the learning in a classroom for individual or small groups, including modelling learning and breaking tasks down into small achievable steps.
Feeding back to the students in a constructive way in order to aid improvement.
Helping with activities in the classroom on an individual, small group or whole class basis when another staff member is leading the learning.
Preparing the physical environment for lessons and clearing away after classes.
Communicating the progress made in classes both verbally and in writing.
Adapting teaching materials to meet the needs of individual children and young people.
Motivating and encouraging children and young people to get involved in classroom activities.
Assisting with organising events and trips that support learning.
Helping to assess work and providing feedback to children and young people.
Adhering to Barnardo's policies and procedures at all times, including Barnardo's: Safeguarding; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Health & Safety; Data Protection; Confidentiality; Recording policies and procedures.
Participating fully in training and supervision.
Volunteering within Barnardo's Values and Behaviours.
Skills: Reliable, punctual and trustworthy.
Approachable and welcoming.
Preferably have experience within a classroom setting or a good understanding of how to deliver lessons effectively.
Good literacy and numeracy skills, along with excellent written & verbal communication skills.
The ability to communicate and engage with children and young people.
The ability to think creatively and adapt to the individual needs of children and young people.
Enthusiasm, patience, understanding and an open-minded approach.
Resilience in the face of challenges and ability to try again after a set back.
Benefits: Full induction and training.
Other training opportunities relevant to the volunteer role.
Regular supervision and support.
Out of pocket expenses agreed in advance.
Access to the Barnardo’s internal vacancy listing.
Our volunteers tell us about lots of other benefits of volunteering including; experience of working with children, young people and families; experience for your CV; supporting your local community; meeting new people; increasing self-confidence; feeling like you are making a difference; improving your health and wellbeing; and a chance to contribute to a worthwhile children’s charity.
Disclaimer: We look to recruit a diverse range of volunteers. If your skills don't fit the role exactly, please do not let this put you off as we are able to be flexible with most of our roles. If you are unable to apply online through the link on this page, please contact the Barnardo's Volunteering Team on
[email protected] or call us on 0208 498 7320
