NATIONAL INTERGENERS’ DAY:
VIEWS OF INTERGENERS ON THINGS THAT COULD BE IMPROVED IN INTERGEN
- Difficult to get reading space in the school
- Vagueness over aims and objectives; had to work alone and feel my way
- No budget for materials
- After coming back from India in-school co-ordinator was not there and I was escorted out and promised a phone call;
nobody has ever rung me - School doesn’t always inform me when I am needed, I usually have to phone them
- High school development is very challenging
- Intergen publicity could be clearer about what we do
- Supply teacher not particularly interested in my work.
- Senior school originally didn’t understand the role of the helper – the teacher thought I would free up some time for her,
but I didn’t want to lecture the students - Have not yet started in the school I was assigned to – after interview and DBS heard nothing for 2/3 month (inc summer).
Contact now made following call to office. I will start at the school soon. - It isn’t always easy to get information from the school
- School staff room is very uncomfortable place for volunteers/visitors, staff aren’t particularly friendly/welcoming.
- My skills haven’t been made as much use of as they could be due to school’s restrictions of the curriculum/timetable
- I made the mistake of giving a photo of my cat Smokey to a pupil
- School doesn’t have a system to enable best use of my skills
- More Co-ordinator support once in school. Was wished good luck by e-mail and didn’t hear again for five months
- Wasn’t impressed by one teacher who abruptly told me that I wasn’t needed that day
- Have found previous Intergen get-togethers quite cliquey
- Not enough guidance at beginning of volunteering
- News that Mrs Z is standing down as Co-ordinator
