Supporting a closing school

It is important to recognise that, when supporting a closing school, it is the school building that is closing and not the children’s lives! Carry on with the activities that you lead or help at, and keep building up the relationships you have with teachers and management. Healthy relationships mean that even though the school building is closing, your work is still appreciated and will continue to be appreciated at a different school (hopefully!).

• Involve yourself with the parent/teacher association and you will find the support of parents – this will work wonders when trying to carry on youth work in a new school.

• When the parents of children moving into a new school approach the management team, asking for your involvement in their school because of the positive influence you had in a previous school, it carries weight.

• Get involved in the closing celebrations, offer to host a farewell service, and be there as much as you would if the school were not closing.

• Don’t give up on a closing school. It is not the end!