“My favourite work experience ever” — what it’s like to help at our Summer Schools
In just a few weeks, our Summer Schools will be kicking off in Cowley and Blackbird Leys! Based around the Fit, Fed, Read model, they include literacy activities, lots of sport and games, and a healthy meal every day — but most of all, they’re a lot of fun. Here’s a taste of what they’re like, from Krisztina, one of the Lead Practitioners from our Easter School in April…
Being a Lead Practitioner at the Easter School was such a rewarding experience. I want to be a teacher, so I jumped at the opportunity, and it was great work experience. Just having the responsibility of looking after the kids was heart-warming, like some deep inner feeling that I was doing something right. I could see the kids slowly warm up to us staff members and feel less and less apprehensive each day, and each group felt like a little well-established team by the end of the week.
Whilst I know they were for the kids, I have to admit I found the day-to-day activities super fun! I remember one of the days I was thinking, “I can’t believe I just spent the whole day playing dodgeball. I’m supposed to call this work?!” On a serious note though, my main responsibility was to think of activities (sport and literature-focused) to do with the group, and make sure they ran smoothly and safely, as well as to generally just make sure the kids were safe and enjoying themselves.
The other staff members were a pleasure to work with — it’s such a good work environment. Everyone cares a lot about the kids’ wellbeing, and is really professional about their work, but they are also really fun — you have to be if you’re going to work at a school camp! We were divided into teams and assigned to groups, so each group of kids had the same adults around them every day. At the beginning of each day, before the kids arrived, my team got together and discussed anything of note for that day, eg any special activities we were planning, or any problems we’d encountered the previous day and how we were going to prevent it this time.
Overall, it has been my favourite work experience (or anything work-related) that I’ve ever done, and I can’t wait to do it again. I really recommend signing up and coming along to the Summer School, you’re going to love it!
Inspired? You can still apply to be a Lead Practitioner at our Summer School here! Or if that’s not for you, you can help make our Summer Schools super fun by contributing to our wishlist of items for literacy and physical activities — thank you!
