‘As an individual hoping to pursue a career in teaching in the near future, the tutoring and befriending scheme that S4A offered me,  allowed me to acknowledge the role of a teacher as a supporter by developing the ability to support young people myself.

I found the experience with S4A extremely enjoyable and rewarding, particularly at times when I helped tutees achieve their learning goals. It was an extremely valuable learning experience because I learnt a great deal from the training sessions S4A offered, from working alongside other volunteers and, more importantly, whilst supporting tutee’s.

I also found that the experience with S4A enabled me to develop as an individual and build on my confidence in supporting tutees of different ages and abilities. Finally, in addition to the rewards that I gained from volunteering with S4A, I also learnt several new skills. For instance, I developed my active listening skills through befriending, and, through helping young people whose non-native language was English, I have been able to develop a new skill by supporting tutee’s who have English as a second language. These are skills which will greatly benefit me when completing my PGCE.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with S4A. It was great working with the young people at both the Millin and Walker Technology College, who made my experience very rewarding. The volunteers and co-ordinators and the rest of the S4A team were extremely supportive. If I had the chance to take part in Summer School again – I would. Finally, thank you for everything!’