Placements & Volunteers - Broadmeadow Special School

Placements & Volunteers

Volunteering

Volunteers are welcome at our school. We have written a bespoke training package ideally suited to anyone wanting to learn about the approaches that we use with a view to employment in this area.

We rely on volunteers to deliver some of our more intensive interventions in school.

How do we deliver it at Broadmeadow?

Volunteers get in touch with the Volunteer Coordinator, who will invite them to complete a DBS check, give them a tour of the school and complete various paperwork. Each volunteer is encouraged to complete one of 6 modules we have devised these are Rebound Therapy, swimming, PECS, teaching and learning, full communication and the outdoor environment– educational visits. One module will be completed over a six week period.

We are reasonably flexible, allowing volunteers to choose the days/hours they work to suit themselves. This of course depends on vacancies in classes, and the children’s routines.

Volunteers can approach us by email and can find information on our program from Wolverhampton Voluntary Services.

Student Placements

We are happy to accept students and volunteers into school who have an interest in SEND.  We have a long and successful history of helping people at all levels into our profession.

For those training to be teachers, even if they do not intend to remain in the specialist field, there is much to be learnt from a school like Broadmeadow. In every school there are children with additional needs and the specialist strategies and interventions that we use here can be applied in many settings.  We link with a number of universities to support trainee teachers, offering placements and mentoring support.

For those interested in Child Development we link with colleges to offer placements of various lengths.

How do we deliver placements at Broadmeadow?

Teaching placements are usually facilitated through the universities that have a good relationship with our qualified mentors. Universities we are currently linked with are Birmingham City University, Wolverhampton University and University College Birmingham. A full package of support is given to trainee teachers including regular observations, mentor meetings and target setting. Trainees are also encouraged to make the most out of their placement by observing good practice and linking with external services, they are also often invited to staff meetings and training events as well as Parent Evening.

Those on appropriate courses get in touch with Clare Temple our placement coordinator who will invite them into school for an initial visit.  During the visit, she will give them a tour of the school, talk them through the student handbook, various paperwork and policies. They will be placed in a class appropriate to their course requirements and the class team will ensure the student has opportunities to complete observations, coursework etc. Termly meetings are planned to ensure students are happy and are getting all the opportunities they need to complete their placement with us.