Wednesday, May 28, 2008
School uses sixth formers as teachers.
A Buckinghamshire school has become the first in the UK to give regular paid teaching responsibility to some of its sixth form students.
Chalfont Community College in Buckinghamshire is committed to the principle of giving students genuine responsibility within the school. Sixth form students complete a training course which covers aspects of teaching such as confidentiality and classroom control. When successfully completed the 16-18 year olds are then employed by the school to occasionally teach younger children and are paid for the lessons they cover.
Students are given information needed for the lessons the day before to allow them to prepare and have access to an adult cover supervisor at all times.
This may seem to some as a risky interpretation of the practical possibilities for giving students responsibility but reports from the school are of the scheme being a success, with positive feedback from the sixth form teachers, staff and the younger children.
School Principal, Sue Tanner's verdict is: "It has been fantastic beyond our expectations because the feedback we get from the children is, 'we are learning something'."
Maybe the lesson for others to learn is to take the risk.