Volunteers needed to help pupils reach their full potential

By Jamie Hill - 30 September 2019

SecondaryCharity

National youth charity Grit is looking for 'performance coaches' to work with pupils at Swindon Academy.

It is Grit's third year of partnership with Swindon Academy and they are about to deliver another piece of work to young people in year 10 (14-15 years old) in their unique development and coaching programme that aims to light the spark of aspiration, helping pupils to achieve their full potential at school and beyond. 

Crucial to the success of the programme is the role that local adults will play in supporting young people. Adults from the community will be trained to coach young people for six months, supporting pupils as they work towards goals and help them stay on track as they make positive changes.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the lives of local young people, give back to the community and be part of the solution. 

The volunteer workshops takes place on Saturday and Sunday 14 and 15 October and the organisation needs more adult volunteers who have a little bit of spare time and would be interested in making a difference to the lives of others.

All volunteers will be trained in Grit’s high-impact, life coaching methodology which many continue to make use of way beyond their involvement in the programme in both a personal and/or professional capacity.

Here are the details:

Coaching for Success

Being a Performance Coach:

Bringing Success to Potential

What is Coaching for Success?

Coaching for Success is a Grit programme that is delivered in schools across the country.  It is aimed at supporting young people in achieving their full potential through training in the areas of responsibility, possibility and relationship. The young people participate in a variety of training events including a 4-day personal development workshop and 4 follow-up training sessions. 

An essential element of each programme is the introduction of performance coaches.  This is a special opportunity to support a small group of young adults (usually 2 or 3) in finding the motivation and skills they need to succeed in their education and finding a career path.  Through taking on the role, performance coaches will receive considerable training that will be directly transferable to their work place.

Objectives of the programme:

  • To impact the culture of schools – increasing success and motivation levels within them
  • Bring young people together with local adults who are successful and can support them in realising their own potential
  • Give schools some new ways of working with pupils who are underachieving

What does it take to be a successful performance coach?

Grit are looking for coaches who can:

  • Be role models
  • Keep their word
  • Support young people in discovering their potential – not try and do the programme for them
  • Hold young people accountable
  • See what is possible for young people

However, the most important criterion is that you are willing to engage in training and are committed to the young people. 

What is the time commitment?

A full breakdown of the dates you will be needed for can be found as a separate attachment. It roughly equates to an hour a week (not including the initial training) but is distributed slightly differently.

Two-day Performance Coach Training Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th October 2019, 9-6pm both days, at Swindon Academy. (Note: you need to be able to attend the whole  2-day workshop.)

Safeguarding Session run by the school. This training will take place on Tuesday 15th October 6-8pm at Swindon Academy.

Matching Session – Friday 18th October, the final afternoon of the young people’s workshop, you will come along to meet the young people you will be working with. This runs approximately from 2 – 4 pm (exact timings TBC)

Coaching Sessions will take place fortnightly and usually last around 45 minutes. Timings of these sessions are within the school day and can be flexible. We will do our best to work with you and the school to find a mutually convenient time for you to meet your young person/ people.

Follow Up Sessions – (4 sessions) an opportunity to review how your sessions are going and to further develop your coaching skills. Like the components above these sessions are mandatory. The coaching will last up to six months.

What will you get out of it?

  • Having the experience and satisfaction of making a considerable difference in the lives of young people
  • Improved interpersonal skills - increasing effectiveness at work and in relationships with family and friends
  • Training and practise in being a coach
  • A better understanding of young peoples’ issues and thinking

What next?

If you would like to apply to be a coach, please complete the attached application form. If you need more details before confirming your involvement, please contact:

Ashley Johnston, Grit: [email protected]

Please note you will be asked to fill out a DBS application before you start coaching.  

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