Salford Foundation

Work With Young People

The Foundation has been operational in Salford schools for more than 20 years. During this time it has expanded its services within schools and its work with young people outside traditional educational settings.

This includes work with all young people, from the Gifted and Talented to those who become disaffected at school, but for whom an alternative, work-related curriculum may provide a more appropriate learning experience.

The ‘core’ work of the Foundation at the school level is to support and enhance the academic, vocational, personal and social development of young people by engaging volunteers from the business and wider community in the programmes highlighted below:

Block and extended work experience

Block Work Experience enables young people aged 15 or 16 to spend either one or two weeks in an organisation to gain an understanding of the world of work.

Extended Work Experience is a one- or two-day per week placement over a set number of weeks which enables pupils to develop their employability skills.

Mentoring in education

Mentoring is a structured relationship in which a more experienced person (a mentor) offers support to another (a mentee) and usually for a sustained period at a point of transition.

Mentoring schemes are offered in 12 Salford high schools and Year 10 students who wish to have a mentor for whatever reason are matched with a volunteer from business and the professions.

Mentors and Mentees usually meet once a fortnight and are free to chat about any matters the student wishes to discuss. Mentoring can improve self esteem, confidence, motivation and provide a positive outlook on life and the future.

Reading support at primary and high school

Reading Support takes place in up to 26 Primary Schools and a number of high schools. Volunteers from both business and the community visit a school to read with children for a minimum of an hour a week, working on a one-to-one basis or with a small group. Volunteers usually see four to five pupils per hour. Currently there are some 117 volunteers from a cross-section of organisations and professions who are giving their time to this scheme in Salford. The results for the children are a rapid increase in their reading skills, confidence, conversation and self-esteem.

Pyramid support for primary school children

Pyramid Clubs are after-school clubs for children in Year 3 at Primary School. They are an early intervention to help shy, quiet and withdrawn primary school children build their confidence, friendship groups and self esteem. The clubs have a therapeutic ethos and are held after school once a week for ten weeks within schools. Led by volunteers trained by Salford Foundation they incorporate activities such as arts and crafts, circle time, food preparartion, drama and games. Throughout the ten weeks, children gain confidence and resilience which enables them to grow in self assurance and perform better academically within school.

Professional development placements for school staff

Also known as ‘Teacher Placements’, these are usually one-day placements which contribute to teachers’ personal and professional development, as well as providing the catalyst for many other learning opportunities. Placements provide teachers with an understanding of how industry operates and they can also inform the business sector about current practice in the classroom.

High School Projects

There are a wide range of activities/projects set up across all Salford High Schools to encompass the Work-Related Learning Agenda, such as Mock Interviews, Employability Skills Days, World of Work days and there is a great emphasis on Enterprise, where students are given the opportunity to work with employers to set up businesses, take a risk, manage money and be innovative and creative.