LET LEEDS READ

Information meeting

BACKGROUND SIFE/ENACTUS Keith Loudon – Redmayne Bentley Other reading volunteering

opportunities Our students want to help in the

community Schools have a need

WHY? Social need Good experience for both parties Read with a child for one hour a week

for 10 weeks and you could raise their reading age by 1 ½ years

70% of pupils permanently excluded from school have difficulties in basic literacy skills.

RECENT MEDIA – YORKSHIRE EVENING POST Poor children in Leeds who fall behind in the three Rs at the age of seven

already have their life chances virtually determined, according to a hard-hitting new report.

More than one in four seven-year-old pupils who receive free school meals in the city are failing to reach the expected standard in reading, the latest Department for Education figures show.

Just over a third are not reaching the expected level in writing while almost a quarter are not achieving it in maths.

Across Yorkshire, deprived pupils performed worse than anywhere else in England, the statistics reveal.

Save the Children has warned today that failing to harness the potential of the poorest children could cost the economy billions of pounds.

The charity said by the age of seven, nearly 80 per cent of the difference in GCSE results between rich and poor children has already been determined.

The first two years a child is at school is a crucial window for closing the attainment gap, according to its new report, Too Young to Fail.

WHAT YOU’LL GET OUT OF VOLUNTEERING…

Make a difference to a child’s life Rewarding to see progress Give something back to community Develop new skills Improve employment prospects Gain confidence Make new friends Positive effect on health Have fun!

EMPLOYABILITYCareers Employability Skills Framework• Organising & Planning• Self-management• Positive Attitude• Communication skills• Team working• Networking• Problem solving and decision making• Commercial & Customer Awareness• Numeracy• IT skills

VOLUNTEERING

87% of employers think that volunteering can have a generally positive effect on career progression for people aged 16-25

41% of those in employment said that volunteering had helped them get their current job – Institute of Volunteering Research

THE ROLE• Semester 1• Primary Schools• 10 week commitment• 1-1 reading support• 1 hour – 3 children (15 minute

blocks )• Travel• DBS checks• Training

EXPECTATIONS• Agree to follow Leeds Met & Leeds Met Students’ Union’s policies and

procedures• Understand professional boundaries, issues of self-disclosure and

respect confidentially• Represent yourself, Leeds Met & the Students’ Union in a positive way• Support your fellow volunteers where appropriate• Be reliable – you have made a commitment to the project• Inform us if you cant attend – at least 24 hours notice is needed• Respect other people for their abilities and achievements• Make constructive criticism and suggestions to us about how project

could be improved

QUOTES FROM THIS YEAR

“We really appreciate their commitment and would be very interested in continuing with the same programme next year or anything similar. The children really enjoy their individual support and it is definitely having a positive effect.”

Carol Dunworth, Assistant Head.

Little London Primary School

“I would like to carry on with my volunteering next year, I have thoroughly enjoyed it this semester.”

Kate Perry, student volunteer

Blenheim Primary School

REWARD & RECOGNITION

STUDENT COMMITTEE 5 Schools Coordinator roles – forming a committee Contact for the school & volunteers Coordinate volunteers Ensure monitoring is complete Oversee the finances for the project Feedback Promotion & Publicity Celebration & recognition

Benefits Develop and enhance leadership skills which will make you more

employable Differentiate yourself from the crowd Become a confident coordinator Be responsible for people, resources, publicity and finances Support from Leeds Met University and the Students’ Union

WHAT NEXT? Information and application will be sent

to you after this week Information must be back to us by 28th

April. Training to be confirmed

ANY QUESTIONS?