Information for Volunteers
Introduction
Wise Up is a constituted voluntary organisation set up by home educating parents to support all families who educate their children outside of the school system. Home Education is a legal alternative to school and more and more families are choosing to go down this route. As families are under no legal obligation to register with their LEA or other authority, there are no accurate figures to show how many home educators there are, however, national organisations and researchers estimate up to 450,000 children are home educated in the UK. About 50 families regularly join in our activities and the South Wales email lists jointly have about 200 families represented. New families get in touch with us all the time and we still come across families who have been home educating for some time but have not found the support of other home educators.
Our Vision
Everyone has the right to home educate their own children for whatever reason they like. This right is enshrined in the Education Act 1996 and the Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights. Unfortunately, many families are still unaware of their right to home educate and this leads to many problems. We are not anti-school but we know that home education is an equally viable option to school education and we would like to see widespread knowledge of the legal right to home educate. We would also like to see services for home educating families improve and a better understanding among professionals working with families. We believe that by providing free activities, support and information for families, we help to open up the option of home education to those who may not know or understand their options and to families who could not otherwise afford many activities and resources. Our work also raises the profile of home educating families and their needs and achievements, thereby enabling them to more confidently engage with the wider community.
Our Families
Families from all walks of life successfully home educate their children and we welcome diversity in all its forms in our group. We recognise that diversity is not only about race, culture or disability and we also respect diverse lifestyles, beliefs, parenting styles and educational philosophies. We are not here to tell people how to raise or educate their children, we are here to support them and to share ideas and resources. Our diversity is what makes our group vibrant and interesting! Many of the children in the group have special needs such as Aspergers Syndrome, ADHD and Dyslexia. Special educational needs which are not adequately met in school is a common reason for families to decide to home educate. Another major reason is bullying and many of our children have had a hard time in school before being home educated. This sometimes causes behavioural problems, speech or emotional difficulties. Sometimes children are extremely shy and take a while to come out of themselves. We recognise that they will join in when they are ready and we don’t try to push them. Some of our children have been home educated from birth and they often relate to adults and children of all ages in a confident way which new people often remark on. Most people find this delightful but some are taken aback when, for example, children taking part in a workshop do not put their hands up before speaking or ask if they can go to the toilet. This can take some getting used to for workshop leaders! For all our activities, children and their adults take part together so there is always a familiar adult to help out any child who may need help to join in. All our activities are entirely voluntary and people can leave if they are not enjoying it – no one is expected to sit through a talk or workshop if they are not engaged. This way, children will try many different things and there is rarely a problem with behaviour as those taking part in a particular activity are there because they want to be. We believe that parents and children themselves know what is best for them and we try to support this. Our organisation supports breastfeeding. We ask families not to practice physical chastisement at any of our activities.
The Role of Volunteers in Wise Up
There are many and varied roles for volunteers in our organisation. Generally, if you can support our vision and if you enjoy the atmosphere of our group, we have a role for you! Our aim is to make the best use of any existing skills you may have, while providing opportunities for you to develop new skills. We anticipate that most volunteers will take on multiple roles within the organisation to this end. For example, you might give guitar lessons if that is your area of expertise, but you might also help out on a fundraising stall and train to coach fitness sessions or take part in a dance workshop. If you decide to volunteer with us, your role(s) will be agreed with you and reviewed on a regular basis. The following list of skills you may want to share or develop is by no means exhaustive and we are always open to new ideas!
| Administration and organisation |
Fundraising |
Playwork |
Sports Coaching |
| Art |
Any type of Craft |
Woodwork |
Metal work |
| Drama |
Show Production |
Set Design |
Climbing Coach |
| Creative Writing |
Reading Group |
Minibus Driver |
Website Building |
| Computer Workshops |
Animation |
Music Lessons |
Jamming Sessions |
| Music Writing |
Singing |
Toddler Play |
Yoga or Tai Chi |
| Chess |
Counselling |
Sewing, knitting or fashion design |
Pool or table tennis coaching |
| Science, engineering or mechanics |
Environmental Work |
Dance |
Careers Advice |
| Personal development |
Maths workshops |
Languages |
Anything else you would like to offer! |
Time Commitment
Our main activities take place on Tuesdays between 9.30am and 4pm so it would be useful if you were available at those times. However, we also need volunteers to help with administration, accounts and fundraising so if you are available at other times we may well still have a role for you! It may be that you can only commit to the occasional one off workshop using a particular skill you would like to share, or you might want to spend a lot of time getting fully involved with our organisation. Whatever time you are able to give, we value your contribution.
Training Opportunities
We try to network and work in partnership with many different organisations and through this networking we can offer various training opportunities, often resulting in recognised qualifications. If you decide to volunteer with us we will keep you informed of these opportunities as they arise. Often we are allowed a limited number of places for our organisation and sometimes we need to pay for the training. Because of this, we ask that if you wish to take up training opportunities, you commit to volunteering with us for some time afterwards so that we also get the benefit of your training!
Training opportunities can include childcare, playwork, first aid, health and safety, sports coaching, drama coaching, driving, administration and more. There are also many opportunities to learn new skills as our volunteers will have the opportunity to take part in workshops and activities in the course of their work with us. For example, you may take part in a project with a view to leading a similar project in the future.
What else is in it for me?
We will pay your out of pocket expenses including travel costs and meals while you are volunteering with us. We hope you will get great satisfaction from helping the children and adults in our group to grow in confidence, develop new skills, form friendships and have a lot of fun! We hope you will enjoy the social side too and make new friends yourself. If you choose to get involved with Wise Up through volunteering there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy trips, picnics and the all important end of year parties!
What if my own children are in school?
Just because we choose to home educate doesn’t mean we think everyone should! We respect every family’s right to make decisions for their children. Many of our families have children in school as well as home educated children, what’s best for each child is what’s important. During school holidays the schooled children join their siblings at home education activities and are welcomed like everyone else. If you choose to volunteer during these times, your children will be welcome to come and join the fun. If you need these times off from your volunteering role we are happy to accommodate that too.
How do I get involved?
You can email or phone us with any questions you have or just for an informal chat. You can fill in our application form here and send it to us or bring it with you when you meet us.
We will arrange for you to come along on a Tuesday for an hour or so to meet us and get a feel for the group. If you can’t make Tuesdays but want to get involved with administration or fundraising, we’ll arrange to meet for an informal chat.
If you want to take it further, you’ll be invited for an interview with 2 or 3 committee members when we’ll discuss what areas you’d like to work in, how much time you can commit, what we expect from you and what you can expect from us.
If we are both happy, we’ll apply for you to get a CRB check and we’ll let you know who your volunteer manager will be. They will discuss your role within the organisation and will be available to answer any questions you have and to deal with any problems that may arise. We want you to feel supported and valued throughout your time with us and will do all we can to achieve this. You will have regular reviews with your volunteer manager when you can discuss your role and any ideas you have for the group, sort out any problems and discuss training opportunities.
Further Information
