School’s volunteering group expands community impact with new primary school

The School’s volunteering group kicked off the Lent term by lending a helping hand at a newly opened primary school.

Volunteering is an extremely important and popular choice for Thursday afternoon activities for Salopians, and this term a new primary school has been added to the list for our pupils to volunteer at each week.

Head of Charities and Volunteering, Naomi Pritchard, said: “Bowbrook Primary School opened two years ago and I am delighted that we have been able to add them to our community projects programme. 

“Mr Yardley, Head of German, takes a group of volunteering students to Bowbrook every week to help with reading and literacy.  I am very grateful to Sam Aiston, Headmaster for giving our students the opportunity of developing key skills such as patience and empathy.  We currently volunteer at six local Schools as well as ten other local community placements every Thursday during term time”.

Fourth Form volunteer, Daphne (EDH), said: “This year I am doing volunteer work at Bowbrook Primary school, on Thursdays we get a minibus to Bowbrook which is a recently built school, and we all go purely to aid or interact with the children in nursery, Reception and Year One.

“We read to, or listen to the children read, helping them with phonics and diction, join in with playtime, take them to forest school, and many other small fun jobs that us volunteers may be asked to do by the teachers working at Bowbrook.

“I enjoy and look forward to volunteering on a Thursday afternoon as talking to the children and making them laugh boosts my mood and gives me time to relax and chat to them, which I think is especially important as everybody is so busy at school, with various commitments and activities.

“Some people may find it difficult to communicate with people their age and I think this volunteer work is perfect to build up confidence as volunteering at a school with younger children gives you a chance to be yourself. You are helping others while also helping yourself!”