Dear prospective volunteer

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at St Nicolas School; we appreciate all extra help offered by our school community. As you will appreciate, the safety of pupils remains our top priority, therefore all regular volunteers will need to undergo a number of checks and undertake some training before they start with us. 

To help you decide if you wish to proceed as a volunteer please read our Volunteers policy below and FAQ's which we hope you will find useful in helping you make your decision. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the school office by emailing reception@st-nicolas.oxon.sch.uk

FAQ's

Who can volunteer?

We are happy to consider anyone, whether they are already part of the school community (parents/carers, grandparents, other relatives, governors) or anyone who would like to share a particular skill. If you child is new to the school, we ask that you wait at least half a term before volunteering so that she/he has time to settle in.

What do I do if I want to help in school?

Please complete and return the volunteer registration form below to the school office and we will contact you. Tell us what you can offer the school, whether it is a particular skill (e.g. music, art, science, languages) or general classroom support.

What will I do in school?

There are lots of ways you can help in school – listening to children read, preparing resources, supporting children directly with their learning, etc. What you will actually do depends on what is needed at the time, and on your own interests and skills. When you work with children at school you will always be under the supervision of a member of staff, who will let you know what we want you and the children to do.

How will I know what I can and can’t do in school?

We will provide you with a ‘Volunteer’s Handbook’ and the Volunteers code of conduct that will help to guide you. You will also complete some safeguarding training and be given our safeguarding policies to read. Staff are always on hand to give advice and answer any questions.

How often will I be able to help?

This is negotiable between you and the school. We prefer volunteers to make a longer-term commitment, e.g. once a week for a morning/afternoon for a term or longer. This means that teachers can take you into account when planning, and pupils know that you will be there.

Can I help on school trips?

If we are unable to meet suitable adult:pupil ratios with staff, we welcome voluntary support on school trips. Our regular volunteers are particular welcome, as they have checks in place on their suitability to work with children.

Why do I have to be checked, and what checks are carried out?

As mentioned above, the safety and welfare of our children is our top priority; it is also a Department for Education requirement that certain checks are carried out to assess staff, governors and volunteers’ suitability to work with children. We hope, therefore, that you will understand the requirement for these checks. The process will be carried out in the strictest confidence. There are some useful policies below for your information.

The checks we carry out are:

• Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) – this checks the applicant’s criminal record. If certain offences are registered it means that you would be unable to volunteer in school; some offences need not prevent your voluntary work, but would be discussed with the Headteacher.
• List 99 – this is a list of people barred from working with children

If you decide to proceed with voluntary work in school, please complete the attached form to start the process, if you have any questions at all contact the school office.