Visitors/volunteers in School

Parent Helpers/volunteers

Our volunteers at Roding include:

• Members of the Governing Body

• Parents of pupils
• Ex pupils
• Students on work experience
• University students
• Ex members of staff
• Local residents
• Friends of the school

The types of activities that volunteers are engaged in include:

• Hearing children read
• Working with small groups of children
• Working alongside individual children
• Undertaking art and craft activities with children
• Accompanying school visits
• Miscellaneous tasks around the school
• Supporting children in the library
• Helping to create displays
• Running clubs
• Translating documents into a different language

Becoming a volunteer:

• Anyone wishing to become a volunteer will be asked to complete an application form.
• Upon receipt of the application form, they will meet informally with Claire Edwards. At this meeting the potential volunteer is asked to present Photographic ID (e.g. passport) and two proof of residence (2 recent documents, such as utility bill or bank statement). Claire Edwards will take a copy of the photo ID.
• If both sides are in agreement, Claire Edwards will liaise with class teachers to arrange where and how they will support.
• Volunteers are able to start without a DBS in place. However in these situations a risk assessment must be written and shared with the volunteer – explaining that they cannot be left alone with children and until the DBS is in place, they will be escorted around the school.
• Within four weeks of starting, a DBS check must be completed. The volunteer will be contacted early in their placement by Caroline Durrance who will organise the check.  If the check has not been returned within 4 weeks of the start date, the volunteer will be asked to postpone return visits until the check has been received.
• All volunteers undergo a short induction, which includes child protection training.

Work experience students/volunteers from local high schools

Students from local high schools will be asked to undertake the following procedures:

• Contact the school in writing to request a placement with included dates of placement.

• When the placement has been agreed the high school’s official referral request document will be submitted, which outlines the work experience requirements.
• An interview prior to the placement will take place with Claire Edwards and a copy of photographic ID will be presented.
• The school’s Induction Procedures and Health and Safety Induction Document will be completed.
• A Health and Safety tour of the school will be undertaken.

Trainee Teachers

• The organisation of placements is completed through correspondence between the University and Claire Edwards
• Once a placement is agreed the university will confirm the trainee’s DBS or the Trainee will be asked to present their DBS certificate to Caroline Durrance
• On the first day of placement, a copy of their photo ID (e.g. passport) is taken and they meet with Claire Edwards for a tour of the school and induction.

Placement of Volunteers

• Volunteers are placed in classes based on the needs of the school and their own individual requirements.
• Parent volunteers are not placed in the same year group as their sibling.

Supervision

• All volunteers work under the supervision of the class teacher and the staff team of the class to which they are assigned.
• Teachers retain responsibility for children at all times, including the children’s behaviour and the activity they are undertaking.
• Volunteers should have clear guidance from the teacher as to how the activity is carried out/what the expected outcome of the activity is.
• Volunteers are encouraged to seek further advice/guidance from the Teacher in the event of any query/problem regarding children’s understanding of a task or behaviour. 
• If class teachers have any concerns about their volunteer then they must speak to Claire Edwards.

The safeguarding requirement for any adult working in school is for them to complete an application form and to be interviewed prior to commencing. If these are satisfactory, the helper can assist in class but must be supervised and should not be left alone with a class, group or individual at any time. A risk assessment will be shared with the volunteer and class teacher if a DBS check is not immediately in place. Within four weeks of starting, a valid DBS check needs to be completed. If the helper has a valid DBS check done by the school, then they can e.g. hear readers in the corridor, but should still be supervised when helping on a trip.  Occasionally, helpers may be responsible for taking groups of children without supervision, e.g. running a club and will only be allowed to do this following a satisfactory DBS check. Parent helpers provide a valuable level of support but this needs to be carefully monitored and structured.  They must sign in at the school office. Parent helpers will not be allowed in the staffroom.

It is the responsibility of the class teacher to ensure that parents understand what is expected of them and that they are aware of what activity they are supporting.

On school trips/ visits or sporting event – it is the responsibility of the class teacher to ensure any parent helping on such an event is fully informed of what it is they are expected to do, the focus of the trip, that the risks are recognised and the management of these understood.

Visitors to class:  A staff member who organises for a visitor to come into school will be responsible for ensuring that it is put in the school diary (in reception), that they are aware of the level of safeguarding required and that they (or someone nominated by them) supervises that person to the appropriate level.