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York Students in Schools
York Students in Schools (YSIS) connects you with local schools and nurseries, so that you can help make a difference to the lives of young people in York.
Join us in celebrating 30 years of YSIS! Explore our anniversary webpage to find out more about the impact of our programme which has placed over 14,000 student volunteers into 60 schools across York.
The programme is open to all students and helps you to build skills and gain valuable work experience for any future career.
What's involved?
As a YSIS volunteer, we ask you to dedicate half a day per week across a semester to support a school or nursery in York.
A typical placement will include pre-placement training during (Re-)Freshers week followed by 10 weeks on placement (including an initial visit).
YSIS offers a variety of roles, here are some of the regular opportunities:
You will assist teachers with various classroom activities, helping to support pupils and encourage learning. This could be with a specific subject, one to one assistance with reading, supporting a pupil with special educational needs or just an extra pair of hands to help.
Receive training from City of York Council Speech and Language Therapists on conducting WellComm assessments.
On placement, you'll work with individual pupils to conduct assessments and provide support based on the children's needs.
If you speak another language, you can contribute by offering translation support or sharing your cultural background through classroom activities. Sign up for our Language Support Register to receive opportunities throughout the year.
Join the York Mathematical Excellence Club (y = mx + c) and engage talented young people from across the city in exciting and interactive extracurricular maths workshops. Working with Year 8 and Year 9 pupils, you'll tackle challenging maths problems beyond the curriculum, such as encryption and fallacies, up to A Level standard. The club is looking for volunteers with a love and strong knowledge of maths to help coach these budding mathematicians at evening events held throughout the academic year at the University.
As a mentor, provide one-on-one support to pupils who are either transitioning from primary to secondary school or preparing to start their GCSE studies. Your role will involve boosting their confidence and increasing their engagement with school.
These full-time placements are available at the start of the Summer vacation. They provide an excellent opportunity to observe diverse teaching styles and age groups, with the potential to teach a lesson in the second week if appropriate. Block placements are ideal if you're considering a future career in teaching.
Before applying
Before applying please be aware that:
- All placement offers are subject to safeguarding checks. You will be required to complete an Enhanced DBS check and provide us with two references.
- If you have lived abroad for three or more months, in the last five years, you will also need to obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct from the relevant country(ies).
- Bus tickets are provided for travel to placements not within walking distance of the University of York.
- If you have a disability or long-term health condition that makes it difficult for you to access volunteering opportunities, please contact us to discuss any reasonable adjustments that would help you. Either email us at volunteering
@york.ac.uk, or chat to us at our drop-in in the Careers building on a Thursday, 2 to 3pm in semester-time.
Student experiences
"Being part of such a valuable project has been immensely rewarding knowing every week I am having a positive impact on these young people". Classroom Assistant volunteer
"I believe completing this placement has allowed me to improve skills such as using my initiative, communication, confidence, time management and working with new people of different ages". Block Placement volunteer