Community Youth Tutors

School based youth workers

Young people in 20 of Kent's secondary schools are benefiting from the input of Community Youth Tutors.

Employed within Kent Youth Service, these school based youth workers are deployed in the schools to improve the learning environment for pupils, often developing out of school clubs and activities that improve the quality of life for young people.

The schools have been carefully chosen and are in areas where there are high levels of deprivation or poor results. Schools involved are already noticing a difference in their pupils, who are more motivated and keeping out of trouble. The school is becoming a more attractive place for them, thanks to the Community Youth Tutors.

How do youth tutors divide their time?

These tutors spend around 40% of their work time in school during normal school hours, developing and delivering lessons such as Personal Health, Social Education (PHSE) and Citizenship. Some run the school council or have timetabled sessions with pupils who are truanting or who face exclusion.

The rest of their working day is spent in school after normal learning hours. After school programmes are developed to give pupils something constructive to do out of school hours. Sports, IT and drama clubs are proving popular distractions which help these young people have a better relationship with their school.

In the evenings, many of the Community Youth Tutors work with a small team of part-time colleagues to provide a youth club for young people in the local area, or operate as detached youth workers by delivering street-based youth work.

Outside of term time, the Community Youth Tutor will also work closely with their Youth Service colleagues to offer an extensive programme of holiday activities that frequently include residential trips and adventurous activities.

The Community Youth Tutors are a popular addition to the school. They have a formal role in the daytime classroom setting, and more of an informal relationship with young people out of school hours. This is just one way that Kent County Council recognises the importance of informal education.

Community Youth Tutors have a high profile in the schools and are respected and valued by the young people who see them as someone to trust and go to.