Volunteer English Teacher
The English class is a part of the Creative Arts and Skills Programme (CASP). It is a safe space for clients to improve their English at their own pace, making friends and immersing themselves in learning to forget some of their daily challenges, whilst being continuously supported by our team of dedicated staff and volunteers throughout their journey.
This weekly English class is a relaxed and friendly space for clients of all language and literacy abilities to practice their English together and develop the confidence to later enrol in a formal college ESOL course. While this class is mostly for beginners, it is also attended by clients who are less comfortable in busy environments and would prefer to learn or improve their English in a smaller group. Some clients are already in college and use this space for extra practice.
We are looking for two volunteers to facilitate this class. The volunteers will work together to develop new class material, and will alternate fortnightly as the main teacher and the support teacher.
Main tasks and activities
- Plan, prepare and deliver high quality English language teaching that meets the differing needs of our clients, taking into account individual learning styles
- Monitor progress and provide regular feedback to each student throughout the term
- Take part in education and training events or schemes as required by the programme
- Keep accurate and timely registers, plus records of travel and other expenses
- Contribute to the development, evaluation, and improvement of the English class, in order to meet learners' needs by actively working as a member of the CASP at HBF
- Keep in contact with the Community and Integration Manager and report any concerns around client wellbeing, following safeguarding procedures when needed
Skills and experience needed
- Understanding of, and commitment to, the objectives of the Helen Bamber Foundation;
- A demonstrable empathy for our vulnerable clients, including asylum seekers, refugees and survivors of torture and trafficking;
- An understanding of the challenges facing our client group;
- Punctual, reliable and self-motivated with a positive, ’can-do’ attitude;
- Hold a Basic ESOL Subject Specialist qualification (e.g. TEFL, CELTA, university degree);
- Proven experience of teaching as an ESOL/EFL teacher ;
- Experience of informal and community education;
- Experience working with vulnerable people;
- Strong facilitation skills with a focus on inclusivity and community-building
- Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage own time and workload, and to prioritise a range of competing demands;
What you will get out of the role:
- A strong understanding of how HBF’s integration programmes contribute to the well-being of our clients;
- An appreciation of the processes and systems that asylum seekers and refugees navigate within the UK;
- Access to training opportunities within HBF
- Increased experience and confidence in teaching English as a second language;
- Increased teamwork skills;
- An ability to multi-task between competing priorities.
Please provide a Cover Letter along with your CV to be considered for this role.
Equal Opportunities
Our commitment to principles of equity, diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our approach to our clients, our volunteers and our staff, and we are an equal opportunities and Living Wage employer. We are committed to attracting and recruiting diverse candidates because we are keen to make sure that all our staff, trustees, volunteers and ambassadors reflect the communities we serve and the wider community we work in.
We genuinely welcome and encourage applications from a range of backgrounds, especially people of colour, people with disabilities, people from low socio-economic backgrounds, refugees, stateless people and others with lived experience of forced migration or trauma.
Download full job description here.