Version / Feb 2013
Owner / Directors
Approved / 17.6.13
Review Cycle / 2 years
Next Review / June 2015

Volunteers in School Policy

Approved by the directors of South Dartmoor Academy on 17th June 2013

Purpose

There are four main purposes to this policy.

  • To enable the opportunities for children to be enriched both within the curriculum and the extended school.
  • To establish expectations for both staff and volunteers.
  • To promote continuity and coherence across the Academy/School.
  • To state the Academy’s approaches to volunteers in our schools in order to promote public, and particularly parent’s and carers’ understanding of the curriculum.

Introduction

The Importance of Volunteers in Schools

The value of well-deployed volunteers in schools is widely recognised. Volunteers are a welcome resource in helping to raise children’s achievement, complementing the work of Teachers and Teaching Assistants. South Dartmoor Academy recognises that there is no doubt that the school as a whole benefits greatly from developing well planned, active parental and community links through participation by adults in the activities of the School on a voluntary basis. Volunteers in school provide for the enrichment of the pupils’ learning experiences, but must not encroach on or restrict professional teaching duties.

Volunteers in school will be deployed appropriately and will not be asked to replace paid staff or be given responsibility within the school that would normally be associated with paid employees. Volunteers will be asked to complete a volunteer information sheet. (Appendix A)

Our Volunteers could include:

  • Members of the Local Governing Body
  • Directors
  • 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 volunteers engage in could include:

  • Hearing children read
  • Working with small groups of children
  • Working alongside individual children
  • Undertaking creative activities with children
  • Running after school clubs
  • Working with children on the computers
  • Accompanying school visits
  • Supporting swimming and other sporting events
  • Helping with school maintenance e.g. gardening

How volunteers contribute to the aims of the academy.

South Dartmoor Academy aims to:

  • Celebrate the diversity of skills, knowledge and expertise within our school and wider community.
  • Enrich the opportunities within the curriculum through inviting volunteers into school to support, advise and inform both staff and children.
  • Provide regular support to children and the classroom.
  • Provide opportunities to the children to gain first-hand insight into areas of knowledge, understanding and experience not available from other staff, for example from discussion with a volunteer of a particular faith or religion within an RE unit of work, or a volunteer who has lived in a country being studied within a Geography unit of work.

Guidelines

Deployment of Volunteers

All volunteers at South Dartmoor Academy will be made to feel welcome.

The parameters of their role within the School will be clearly defined from the outset in order to avoid the possibility of misunderstanding. The school will provide volunteers with a code of conduct and a copy of this policy. (Appendix B)

During visits to the School, or visits elsewhere with the School, each volunteer will be designated a particular member of staff to whom he / she will be directly responsible.

Although the Headteacher retains overall responsibility for volunteers in school, this would usually be the member of staff making the arrangements. Whilst there should be no significant addition to the workload of the staff member taking responsibility for the volunteer, it is expected that time is taken to ensure the volunteer is adequately inducted into the role and that there is mutual agreement and understanding. This responsibility is not compulsory for staff and should only be delegated with the agreement of the employee concerned. It is however essential that the volunteer is clear as to which member of staff has this responsibility.

All volunteers to South Dartmoor Academy will be made aware of the following as appropriate during their initial meeting with the Headteacher or School Volunteers Leader (Appendix C):

  • Volunteers at South Dartmoor Academy will not have unsupervised access to children.
  • Safeguarding procedures and named safeguarding officer(s)
  • Location of toilets and staffroom and invitation to tea/ coffee facilities.
  • Location of areas in which they will be working.
  • Fire-alarm procedures.
  • Expectations with regard to confidentiality.
  • Access to information, as necessary, in relation to staff and pupils.
  • Expected level of behaviour and an awareness of professional codes of conduct.
  • The school’s Equal Opportunities, and Volunteers in School Policies along with other Policies and practices as appropriate to the visit.
  • The School’s Complaints Procedure.
  • The School’s Disciplinary Procedure.
  • Volunteers will not be asked to carry out duties which:
  • Fall normally within a Teacher’s responsibility under loco parentis.
  • Fall normally within the job description of a Teacher or Teaching Assistant, i.e. covering for absence.
  • Would normally be performed by a contractor engaged by the Local Education Authority or the School.

It is noted that the Class Teacher remains responsible for the organisation of the class and methods of work.

Child Protection

The law requires checks to be made on anyone with responsibilities in a School which can give them regular unsupervised access to pupils under the age of 19. Regular access is defined as once week or more, or 4 days in any 30 day period. Under the Education (Teachers) (Amendment) Regulation 1998 this now includes volunteers who regularly help:

  • in the classroom;
  • in extra curricular activities;
  • supervise pupils on School organised holidays or residential visits

Volunteers will be checked against the Disclosures and Barring Service (DBS) which is the merging of the services previously provided by Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

Important: it is the Headteacher’s responsibility to ensure that volunteers have appropriate access to children and that they have undergone the required checks.

The Headteacher will take all reasonable steps to confirm the identity of the person volunteering. The Administrators will view at least one original document from the list below, together with a utility bill showing the volunteer’s address:

  • Birth Certificate;
  • Marriage Certificate;
  • Passport;
  • Driver’s Licence.

The above regulations do not apply to volunteers such as those who help organise and run fetes or who may assist the school activities on an irregular or ad hoc basis but should apply to Volunteers who drive children in cars or minibuses. However, if the Headteacher is unclear about the position in respect of a Volunteer, he/she will seek further advice from the School’s Link Personnel Officer.

Insurance

Volunteers will be informed about the extent of the insurance cover available. Whilst volunteering for the school they are covered by South Dartmoor Academy for third party liability only and the limitations of this insurance will be explained carefully to Volunteers. They may wish to make their own arrangements for insuring against theft, personal injury or damage to their own property.

Volunteers using their own car to transport children other than their own children to school events, (sport, music etc) should be made aware of the school policy and advised to check with their own car insurance company to ensure that they do not contravene their insurance policy conditions. Volunteers using their own cars should sign the appropriate contract. (Appendix a)

Allowances

Although there is no obligation to make financial reimbursement to volunteers; it is sometimes appropriate, in exceptional circumstances, to consider paying out-of-pocket expenses connected with the tasks they undertake for the school.

Extension or extra curricular opportunities

Medium Term Planning may identify opportunities for visits and fieldwork as appropriate to the unit of work. The planning of such activities will be in line with school policy and practice and will be discussed with the head teacher before firm plans are made. Such visits may include and involve volunteers.

Inclusion

South Dartmoor Academy recognises that there will be times when the School requests the support of a volunteer for whom particular arrangements are necessary. The School operates an inclusive policy and all offers of help from volunteers will be considered on an equal basis. Offers of help will be accepted purely because they fit the needs identified for the specific group of children and enhance and support what is on offer at the school both within and in addition to the curriculum.

Health and Safety

Safe practice must be promoted at all times. The school has a Health and Safety policy and maintains records of Risk Assessment. All volunteers will have their attention drawn to identified risks, the teacher will explain to the volunteer the risk and any specific actions which should or should not be taken by the volunteer.

This policy will be reviewed biannually

Next review date : Feb 2015

APPENDIX A

VOLUNTEER INFORMATION SHEET - FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS

Name of Volunteer:

Date of Birth:

Other names known by (including maiden names):

Address:

Phone:

What skills / areas would you like to help with in school?

Are there any particular age groups / classes you would like to work with?

Do you have any disabilities / other needs we need to take into account when

working as a Volunteer in school? (please give details)

Thank you for taking time to complete this Volunteer Information Sheet.

Please hand it to the Headteacher / Head of School / Vice Principal.

Your offer of help is appreciated and we will be in touch shortly.

APPENDIX B

Code of Conduct for Volunteers working at Ashburton Primary School

Whilst helping in school, volunteers are entitled to be treated with the respect and in a manner appropriate to a member of staff. Children are told to refer to volunteers as Mr, Ms or Mrs rather than by first names. To this end, volunteers will be issued with badges that identify them as volunteers at AshburtonPrimary School.

We request that you read, sign and return a copy of this code of conduct to the headteacher as an indication that you agree to the principles it contains and in order for the school to function successfully.

1. Provide a good example and a positive role model to pupils by behaving in a mature, respectful, safe, fair and considered manner. For example, you must ensure that you

  • Are not sarcastic, and do not make remarks or ‘jokes’ to pupils of a personal, sexual, racist, discriminatory, intimidating or otherwise offensive nature
  • Do not embarrass or humiliate children
  • Use language appropriate for young children
  • Dress appropriately
  • Inform another member of staff if you experience behaviour difficulties that you feel unable to deal with. Volunteers must not discipline pupils; this is the responsibility of the class teacher.
  • Inform the child protection officer immediately if you are concerned about a pupil’s well being and safety.

2. Ensure that you maintain the confidentiality of individuals.

  • Conversations/events that you hear/witness, or are part of, that relate to children or staff must remain confidential.
  • The progress/difficulties of individual children must not be discussed with others outside the school.
  • You may witness inappropriate behaviour that we are already working closely with the child, parents and outside agencies to support and improve. You may not always be aware of this, as such information is highly confidential. It is easy to make judgements without being fully aware of the facts contributing to the child’s difficulties. If you have concerns please speak to the headteacher.

3. Ensure that your relationship with pupils remains on a professional footing. For example, you must

  • Only touch pupils for professional reasons, and when this is necessary and appropriate for the pupil’s wellbeing or safety (more guidance on this is set out in the DfES Guidance for Safe Practice)

  • Not behave in a way that could lead a reasonable observer to question your conduct, intentions or suitability to care for other people’s children (e.g entering the toilets with a child, sitting a child on your lap)

  • Not make arrangements to contact, communicate or meet with pupils outside your work (this includes use of email, text and other messaging systems)

  • Not develop ‘personal’ or sexual relationships with pupils. In particular your attention is drawn to the provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which creates a new criminal offence of abuse of a position of trust (when a person aged 18 or over is in a ‘position of trust’ with a person under 18 and engages in sexual activity with or in the presence of that child, or causes or incites that child to engage in or watch sexual activity).

4. Follow the Internet Use Code of Conduct

  • This code exists to safeguard and promote the proper use of the School internet and email facilities. Volunteers are responsible for using these facilities in an efficient, effective, ethical and lawful manner. Use of the internet and emails may be monitored at any time for legitimate business reasons.

5. Work in a manner consistent with our school procedures

  • The classteacher has overall responsibility for the children and volunteers must be able to work under their direction.
  • Mobile phones must be turned off
  • All accidents need to be dealt with by a school first aider – Liz Hayward, Jill Richardson or Jean Smith.

Volunteers’ Rights

School volunteers have the right to:

  • be recognized for their valuable contributions to the educational experience of ourchildren.
  • be assigned worthwhile tasks;
  • access any school policies and procedures that are relevant to their roles;
  • any training or supervision that is necessary for the success of their activities; and
  • deal with any complaint through the school’s formal general complaints procedure.

I ______have read the school's information for volunteers and agree to abide by the Code of Safe Conduct therein.

Signed: ______Date: ______

Thank you for your support of the school and it’s arrangements for the safety and care of children and adults in our school community.

...... Headteacher

APPENDIX C

Name of volunteer / Assigned member of staff
Skills and time being offered
Meeting with headteacher
Welcome
  • School aims
  • Names of staff
  • Toilets and drinks
  • Map of school

Safeguarding children
  • Child protection officer
  • Procedures
  • Confidentiality
  • Unsupervised access

Health and Safety
  • Fire
  • Risk assessments
  • Use of ladders
  • First aiders

Conduct in school
  • Confidentiality
  • Dress code
  • Mobile phones
  • Language
  • Discipline/Behaviour policy
  • Complaints procedure
  • Insurance/liability

Issues raised by volunteer

Volunteers in School Policy Feb 2013 – Review date Feb 2015 Page 1 of 9