Role description

The role of the volunteer at Kelvin Grove’s Forest School is to support the staff to ensure the health and safety of all the children and to help to maximise their learning experience.

Responsibilities

• To assist in supervising children when walking to and from Forest School.
• To assist children with preparing for Forest School E.g. support with putting on boots, waterproofs and protective clothing (encourage them to have a go on their own first!)
• To model good listening and paying attention to instructions given by the Forest School Leader, particularly the “Forest School Rules”.
• To support individual children with whatever activities they choose to engage in.
• To supervise risky play such as climbing, balancing, swinging and using tools (as directed by the Forest School Leader).
• To model respect for people, creatures, plants and trees, our resources and environment
• Child health and safety is everybody’s responsibility.

Basic Requirements

• Volunteers will be asked to read and agree to Kelvin Grove School’s Volunteer Code of Conduct .
• Be prepared to spend extended amounts of time (up to 2 hours) outdoors, all year round, in all weathers.
• Volunteering will require the use of your own outdoor clothing to include warm layers in cold weather, sturdy footwear and waterproofs, and suitable protection in hot weather. All participants must wear long sleeves for protection from brambles and stings, even in hot weather.
• Follow instructions given by the Forest School Leader and teaching staff.
• Alert the Forest School leader to any medical conditions or allergies that may present a risk in an outdoor environment (e.g. insect bites or stings).

Ideal Skills and Attributes

• Have good listening and communication skills.
• Enjoy working as part of a team.
• Have a friendly and patient nature and can make learning fun.
• Are happy to be outdoors in all weathers.

Benefits

• Experience your own increased well-being and improved physical and mental health through interaction with nature.
• Develop your own skills and grow your knowledge alongside the children e.g. tools, fires, native flora and fauna.
• Become part of a team providing opportunities, supporting holistic development and learning through fun experiences in our Forest School space.
• Gain satisfaction from making a difference for children by helping them feel good about themselves and feel a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Forest School helps boost self-esteem and confidence and develops practical skills.
• If you are interested in pursuing a career in Forest School, Outdoor Learning or working with children, this would be a fantastic opportunity to gain some experience.

Time commitment

• Ideally to support one or two Forest School sessions per week, or one session every other week.
• Sessions are scheduled on Monday or Tuesday afternoons between 1.00 and 3.00pm, although there are times when the schedule is altered to accommodate staff availability.
• Notice for any changes to the regular schedule is usually given a term in advance.
• Sometimes we run sessions for smaller groups of children with SEND (Special Educational Needs or Disabilities) at other times of the week.
• We ask that ideally you commit to at least term’s worth of sessions so that we can plan for a sufficient number of adults per session. We will always attempt to accommodate whatever time you are able to offer.