Tutormate, an enlightening experience

It is well known that it’s important to Minster Law that we help the communities where we live and work.  So, every year each colleague is given some time to give back to the local community.

In previous years, I have volunteered at a food bank, helped sort clothing donations for a charity shop and have done some gardening at a local children’s hospice.  This year, I opted for something slightly different and, signed up for the Tutormate scheme.

Tutormate helps support pupils in disadvantaged communities progress with their reading by working with tutors across an online platform.  You are allocated a pupil at a primary school within your region, who you then arrange weekly reading sessions with during term time.

Tutormate has a range of stories and word games to pick from that caters to all reading abilities, with various reading levels which can be adjusted as your pupil develops.

It is an enjoyable experience to read with my pupil each week, to see them get excited about reading and how they are improving. They enjoy picking stories and we work through new and difficult words together. The children seem to get a lot out of the sessions as it is a break from the normal classroom routine. It is also great to see that my child likes to challenge themself as they get more confident at reading and ask to move up a reading level to try something more difficult.

This is such a rewarding scheme, and I am pleased that Minster Law has given me the opportunity to take part.  I would recommend it to anyone wanting to give back to their local community.