CSR
Already supporting schools through your CSR Policy?
If you already have a CSR Policy and are looking for opportunities to expand your portfolio of community partnerships and involvement, registering with in2schools will enable your business to promote its support for local educational establishments.
In2schools is a nationwide resource, allowing schools across the country to hear about what you do. By registering with in2schools, schools who wish to engage with your service can contact you directly, freeing up your company’s time spent recruiting schools. Letting people know about the good things your company does can only be a good thing!
Please contact us to discuss registering with in2schools.
Thinking about supporting schools in the UK through your CSR Policy?
Working with your local community can bring a wide range of benefits. For many businesses, local customers are an important source of income. By enhancing your reputation and community relations, you may find it easier to recruit employees and generate new business. A good relationship with local authorities may also have its benefits; some local authorities prefer to award contracts to businesses with a record of community involvement.
Providing voluntary services in local nurseries, schools or colleges through your Corporate Social Responsibility Policy provides many ways for companies to use their expertise as well as displaying the human face of their business.
Your employees may have children at local schools, making the business’ contribution even more meaningful and appreciated.
By supporting employees to offer their services to schools, your staff have the opportunity to share their skills, either work related or personal, and experience new situations which can be motivating, refreshing and enjoyable. Being able to inspire, encourage and work with young people can be very rewarding. It also has the potential to improve trust and build loyalty between companies and their employees through common shared values. Please read our case study below to be inspired to get involved with your local schools!
How to Engage with Schools
Schools will generally be keen to engage with support offered to them, whether it is on a regular basis or as a one-off. There are a number of ways that volunteers can assist schools including:
- Sharing expertise with staff such as leadership and management skills
- Providing pupils with informative, practical advice to assist with their career choices
- Assisting children with learning to read and write, and developing number skills
- Organising one-off events such as fundraising or whole-school themed activity days
- Mentoring pupils for example, through exam preparation or college application processes
- Assisting in the school library
- Delivering lessons/ running projects on specialist subjects
- Providing an extra pair of hands in a busy classroom
- Sharing their expertise with pupils, for example, in music or language
- Becoming a school governor
Want to get started?
If you would like to support your local nurseries, schools or colleges through your CSR programme contact us to find out how the in2schools consultation service can help you get started.
Case Study
In line with their corporate social responsibility policy, a global environmental company wanted to give something back to their local communities and decided to do this by volunteering their services to a local secondary school. Through lots of hard work they managed to establish a link with a local secondary schooland began collaborating to see what the company could offer the pupils that could enrich their learning. Together, they managed to make employees knowledge and skills fit into the geography curriculum and it was agreed that some employees would have the opportunity to deliver a total of 6 lessons to a class. Obviously the company employees had a good working knowledge of the subject but support from the school was necessary in order to pitch the material at the right level for the pupils. It was important for the teachers to be willing participants in the process and provide the information needed. As the organiser of the programme explained, “we needed to know where to pitch the lessons, we had to know the students level of reading and their ability to follow instructions.” It was also important for the company to find the right people to deliver the lessons. Participating in the CSR scheme is not something that can be insisted upon, as the organiser observed, “it is important for the volunteers to want to do it so there is enthusiasm in the delivery.” From the schools perspective, the Head of Geography feels the program had many benefits and valued the genuine enthusiasm from the employees. “Having a new face in the classroom was a welcome opportunity. It provided a new bout of enthusiasm for the subject and up to date information.” The Head of Geography also commented on the benefits of having the opportunity to see a different side to his pupils in terms of how they reacted to different people. Alongside the immediate mutual benefits from the program, both the company and the school noted the longer term gains that have risen from the initial program. The CSR program organiser feels that “a good relationship has been built with the school” and a work experience scheme has been set up which is an invaluable opportunity for pupils from the school.