The bp Student Tutoring Scheme is an opportunity that allows students to volunteer in primary and secondary schools across Aberdeen city and shire for an eight week block of one half day per week.
For me, the main purpose of it was to give back to the community whilst also adding a unique and valuable set of skills to my CV. Education wasn’t a career path that I had properly considered before this scheme, however, I was very keen to support the learning journey of younger pupils in Aberdeenshire in whatever way I could. I attended both primary and secondary in Aberdeenshire, and so the chance to contribute to an area that supported the entirety of my learning pathway before university was one I certainly wanted to take part in.
I was lucky enough to be accepted onto the scheme, and after attending the introduction event, I was allocated to my first choice, a primary school in Aberdeenshire. On my first day, I was given an induction by both the head teacher and the teacher I was working with. I also got to meet the class that I would placed with, and they were all very excited to have a new face in the classroom!
Over the weeks that followed, I helped in a wide variety of different exercises, from music, maths and art to reading, writing, and even a walk around the village. One of the best parts of the scheme is the visible difference you make to the school. A highlight for me was working with a pupil who was struggling in maths, and after we had worked together on some exercises, she was so full of genuine excitement that she chose to continue doing maths instead of playing with her classmates in free time as she was so engaged with the process of it.
The eight week block passed very quickly, and I decided to continue volunteering at the school after my placement ended. I set up a reading club with the P4 pupils, where we read a wide variety of different texts and discussed our thoughts on each one. At the end of the term, I helped out on their sports day. It was a fantastic chance to cheer on the pupils I’d worked with, and support them throughout the day.
Since completing the scheme and my subsequent volunteering, I am now considering working in education after graduation. Supporting students in their learning journey and helping to create an atmosphere in which learning is fun was a very rewarding experience. As well as this, I was able to develop my skills in organisation, time management, and communication in a variety of ways to help students understand topics. The overall experience was hugely beneficial, and one that I would definitely recommend to any student who is considering education or who wants to help support the community.
Find out more about the bp Student Tutoring Scheme on the Careers and Employability Service website.
