High School of Glasgow pupils tutor local kids

PUPILS from The High School of Glasgow are becoming tutors for children in Maryhill through the Volunteer Tutors Organisation (VTO).

Glasgow-based VTP runs a leadership programme for senior pupils and provides volunteering opportunities at its local “learning hubs”.

Seventeen sixth form pupils from the independent school will spend an hour each week helping children with their homework and practising their English and mathematics.

Barbara Oliver, head of service at the VTO, said: “Education is the most powerful way of improving people’s lives.

“We believe that all children should have access to educational support, irrespective of family circumstances.

“One-to-one interaction with a tutor away from the classroom is an effective way to assist education and our learning hubs provide structure and individual attention to children.”

She added: “Learning from older pupils provides positive role models in a more informal environment, which can make asking questions easier.

“The relatively informal, but dedicated individual support provided by the VTO via our learning hubs and one-to-one tutoring has been found to be very effective and we’ve seen real success with children developing social skills including confidence, communication, cooperation, problem solving, concentration and patience.”

Phil Ford, head of sixth form at The High School of Glasgow, said: “The VTO is a fantastic initiative and gives pupils the chance to experience a career in teaching and working with children.

“There’s nothing more rewarding than helping young people engage with their learning and seeing the moment the penny drops and everything clicks into place and I’m excited that our pupils will experience this.

“Our sixth form volunteers have the chance to give something back to the local community while developing new skills, qualities and experiences, which will stand them in good stead for university and beyond.”

Read more stories from Scotland’s schools on Scottish Field’s education pages.

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