Volunteering at Bowerham Road Primary School by Maeve Lane

I am a 3^rd year English BA student at the University of Cumbria. I first looked into volunteering at Bowerham Road Primary School in my second year at university; September 2012. I looked into volunteering as it would boost my C.V and I was looking into doing a PGCE after university. To become a volunteer at the school I emailed them and was subsequently forwarded onto the volunteering co coordinator; Mrs Pollock. I met her and we discussed which age group I would like to work with, what experience I had and about me getting a CRB check, which is mandatory to work in a school. The school were very supportive in getting me my C.R.B and helped me with the process.

There are 2 teaching assistants, a teacher and me in the class I work in. I get on well with everyone and I do different jobs every day. These can vary from helping individual children on work they are struggling with in class, to helping to design displays for the classroom, to listening to children read. The days in which I volunteer have always been very flexible from the beginning and I volunteer for 6 hours a week.  Ms Pollock also helped me in becoming a tennis coach in America for 8 weeks during the summer 2013, through the company CCUSA.

I enjoy working at the school as it has given me valuable work experience and has taught be to organise my time between volunteering and university work. It has taught me to be patient and to think of more exciting ways to engage the children to work. I would highly recommend any trainee teachers and fellow students to gain as much work experience and volunteering experience as soon as possible. This will increase your chances of getting a job when you graduate.

The teaching experience has been very rewarding. It has given me an interest in working with children and potentially becoming a Primary School teacher in the future. It has also given me valuable experience of working. This experience will hopefully stand to me when I look for a job once graduating at the end of this year.