Start from scratch

Developing relationships

If you’ve been able to make contact with a member of staff at the school, sooner or later you should find yourself with the opportunity to meet them in person and introduce yourself. That, in turn, raises a number of important issues.

Producing publicity and brochures

Many Christians starting work in school think about producing some kind of printed information about themselves and what they’re offering. This is easier if you’re representing an organisation that is offering a wide range of input, and more difficult if you’re a solo church youth worker, when they may be much less information to include. Having some publicity is a good idea, though it’s by no means necessary: your impact as a person and the relationships you build in the school will count for much more in opening up doors.

If you do decide to produce a leaflet or brochure, here are some suggestions for content:

A brief introduction giving the overall aim of what you’re doing. For example:
• “Atherton Baptist Church is committed to serving the needs of the local community. Alongside our support for young mums and our ‘HomeBase’ project for those with practical needs, we also want to support local schools through input from our full time youth worker, Keith Richards.

  Our aim is to make a positive contribution to schools, expressing our Christian belief that churches can play a valuable role in the local community. We offer a range of input from a Christian perspective, that are child-centred and appropriate for students from all faiths and backgrounds.”

• A brief biography of the youth worker or others who will be offering support, including any experience in education or other work with young people
• A list of services you are offering. For example:

  “- School assemblies on a range of topics including self worth, forgiveness, bullying, spiritual life, and special occasions such as Easter, Christmas and Remembrance Day.
  - Mentoring pupils, especially providing support and encouragement to pupils who have been the victims of bullying.
  - A 6 week anger management group programme, adapted from the nationally acclaimed ‘Calm’ project (our staff have been specifically trained and accredited to deliver this curriculum).”

• Confirmation that those involved are regularly subject to an Enhanced Criminal Records Disclosure.
• A short paragraph underlining that you are aware of the importance of working within the school rules and protocols, and that you have the appropriate public liability insurance.
• Some commendations from relevant sources. For example:

  ”As a member of Atherton Baptist, I have been impressed by Keith’s sensitivity and creativity in working with young people. He is not only accomplished at communicating both in public and on a one to one basis, but also has a genuine concern that young people develop to their full potential. I have no hesitation in recommending him as a valuable resource for local schools. Mike Brent, Social Worker, Atherton Social Services.”

• Contact details.

Appropriate dress code

There are a wide range of opinions about the best way to dress when working in a school. Some argue that adopting a casual approach makes it easier to work with young people and distinguishes you from the ‘school establishment’. Others make the point that staff may not take you seriously unless you are dressed reasonably smartly. You will need to make your own decision about what will work best for you, though it’s worth remembering that the smarter option is less likely to create problems, especially when you are starting out in a school.

Meeting different staff in schools

It’s worth noting that meetings with staff in schools may have different emphases depending on the role of the staff concerned. When you meet a teacher or other member of staff, you should think carefully about what topics are important to cover in detail, and what can be left out or simply referred to.

• Head Teachers may be concerned with the bigger issues rather than details about specific curriculum content. They will often be asking themselves: ‘Is this person safe to have in my school?’, “Can I trust this person?’ or ‘Will this help our school?’, so your presentation and conversation should emphasise these areas.
• Subject teachers will be much more concerned with how your input will resource and support their work, so they will often be asking themselves ‘Does this fit with our curriculum and current scheme of work’. They’ll want to know that you can engage the students, keep control and deliver some effective teaching and leaning. Again, keep your presentation and conversation to these areas.
• Pastoral staff may want to know about your experience in working with young people, and whether you are able to cope with difficult or unruly pupils. They may also want to know that you are ‘safe’ and have received appropriate training and a CRB disclosure.

What next?

If you’ve successfully made contact with a school and been able to do some kind of input, however small, you’re ready to take things on to the next stage. Schools will vary widely in the opportunities they present and you may need to be prepared for the long haul to gain their trust and acceptance. Others may be incredibly open and offer all kinds of ways for you to input with almost no hesitation. You’ll have little choice over which of these two you face, however genuinely good input is rarely turned down by schools.

The best step to take after giving some input in school is to meet back with the relevant staff member and review what you did together. Were they happy with what you did? Were there any issues or comments you should hear? This opens the door to asking for further opportunities: either of the same kind or something more involved. For example, having taken an assembly, you may be able to offer your services to the RE department to help with lessons. If the teacher you’ve already worked with is not the person who organises this new area, ask them for an introduction to the relevant staff member. In this way you’re able to meet new
staff in a ‘safe’ context of being introduced by another teacher.

In some cases schools will simply not want outside input, especially from Christians. Although this is rare, it does happen, and is often related to a bad experience in the past or a strong disapproval of religion and faith from the Head Teacher. There are few practical ways round these obstacles and you may have to accept that the school will be closed to you, although you may be able to support it in other ways.

A summary of steps to starting from scratch

• Be clear about your aims in wanting to work in a school.
• Do some basic research about the school from general sources.
• Make contact with church members who work at the school and ask for their advice and help.
• Try to meet a relevant teacher or staff member in person, through an introduction from a church contact.
• Offer a small initial input, perhaps an assembly, so that the school can get an impression of you and what you can offer.
• Produce a simple brochure about your work to back up your input.
• Meet back with the relevant staff member after your input and review it together. Ask for further opportunities to work in the school.
• If you’re intending to work in another area of school life, ask your existing contacts for a personal introduction to the relevant staff member.

This guide has concentrated on the practical steps to beginning work in a school, but of course prayer is a vital component to all that’s been outlined. Encourage your church to pray with you as you make contact with a school and continue to ask God for guidance and wisdom.

Feel free to use and distribute this guide but please acknowledge schoolswork.co.uk as the source.