Bushey Meads Sixth Form – Kindness Matters Programme

Bushey Meads Sixth Form – Kindness Matters Programme


Des Timotheou
Des Timotheou
Bushey Meads Sixth Form – Kindness...

The Kindness Matters Programme greatly enhances the prospects of all those taking part; particularly when applying for future education or employment placements.  Every student has a Kindness Matters booklet which is signed by the teacher.  This booklet provides sound evidence of extra curricular activity for those involved, showing that they are prepared to go the extra mile for the benefit of the wider school community.  Kindness Matters sees students arrange with teachers to attend a lesson and assist them every week for an hour.  This involves our Sixth Form students taking part in a variety of activities with younger students including listening to them read, mentoring and supporting a student in a lesson with their learning. Many of our Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils are benefiting enormously from the support they are receiving in lessons with Sixth Form students.

 

Teachers have spoken highly of our Sixth Form mentors supporting students in various lessons, including literacy lessons.  

 

The integrated picture of learning, throughout the entire school, has had an enormous impact on the number of Key stage 3 and 4 pupils. 

This programme has proven to be effective and successful; both students and teachers have benefited greatly. 

 

The programme involves:

 

  • Compulsory – 1 hour a week during study periods
  • Assisting in a specific subject 
  • Part of the wider school community – working across the trust 
  • Developing  personal strengths 
  • Builds great relationships with teachers 
  • Reading mentors
  • Being role models for the lower years 

Benefits of the programme:

  • Looks excellent on UCAS/Job applications/Apprenticeship
  • Puts you a step ahead
  • What Universities look for
  • Improving personal statement
  • Assists those in need
  • Builds self esteem
  • Builds relationships with students and teachers
  • School ethos
  • Identifying Sixth Form students as something special

 

The Kindness Matters Programme greatly enhances the prospects of all those taking part; particularly when applying for future education or employment placements.  It provides sound evidence of extra curricular activity for those involved, showing that they are prepared to go the extra mile for the benefit of the wider school community.

 

Mrs Timotheou

Assistant Head of Sixth Form.

 

Below is an article from some of our Sixth Form students who are completing their Kindness Matters at Little Reddings School

 

Kindness Matters is a programme where Sixth Formers participate in, they give an hour a week back to our school community, whether that’s helping out in one of your subjects or at a local primary school. For us we help out at Little Reddings School every week.

We are allocated a year group and during this hour we do activities with the children like reading, helping them with spelling and even playing with them.

A couple of us help in reception where we work closely with the students to help them develop basic life skills like reading and communicating with one another whilst playing with and reading to them. We all thoroughly enjoy this, as it allows us to play a vital role in encouraging a positive attitude towards the school learning environment. 

Some of us help in Year One which involves working with the children in group work and one-to-one. We help the children who need some extra support, this allows us to finish independent work with some of the children, whilst their teachers focus on the main class. We also assist the children in learning their phonics and help them spell a range of words containing the sounds they have already been taught on whiteboards. This experience is great for us to learn how to work with children and lead others and the children are excited to see us every week.

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