Gap Students

My time as a Gap Assistant at Spring Grove has genuinely been one of the most special experiences of my life. From the moment I arrived, the children, staff, and wider school community made me feel incredibly welcome and part of something truly special, and what began as a new step into the working world quickly became something I cared about deeply.

Working with the pupils each day, encouraging them, helping them grow in confidence, celebrating their achievements, and supporting them through challenges, has been profoundly meaningful. Watching a child master a skill they have worked hard on, or seeing their face light up with pride, is something I will never forget. I especially loved being involved in school sport: the early mornings, different teams, fixtures, time on the hockey pitch and netball court, and the smiles at the end of a match.

The staff placed their trust in me, supported me, and helped me grow in ways I never expected. I leave with stronger leadership skills, greater confidence, and a clearer sense of purpose, but most importantly with memories I will always treasure and a deep affection for the school and everyone in it.

Working at Spring Grove I was given so many brilliant opportunities and so much freedom within my role that allowed me to grow as a person. Working with the children meant that everyday was different, whether they had a dance to teach me at break or they needed help creating a mud kitchen menu, there was never a boring moment. 

At the start of the year,  I was nervous about lifeguarding because I hadn’t done it before – but by the end it was one of my favourite parts of the job and I got to see and help the children improve their swimming.  I was even able to help organise a swimming charity event, which was incredibly rewarding. I also got to design and create props and backdrops for assemblies and plays throughout the year, as well as referee at fixtures and coach in a variety of sports. You get to do all these amazing things at your own pace and the staff around you always want the best for you. They were all so friendly and make you feel at home from day one. 

 If you have something you’re passionate about then the supportive atmosphere at Spring Grove allows you to develop it and helps you to use it to excel. I’ve been able to build on so many skills, especially my confidence and it has made me feel much more prepared for university and the world of work afterwards. I would do it all again if I could and am so grateful I got to experience the magic of Spring Grove.

I found working at Spring Grove during my Gap year to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I really enjoyed the challenge, pushing myself out of my comfort zone and experiencing a new environment. This was really beneficial for me as I found it to be a great stepping-stone out of school and into university. 

Spring Grove is a super fun environment, and it was often easy to forget I was working! My year at SG taught me loads. It taught me how to remain calm and patient even under pressure, and improved my leadership skills – being able to present a task to a group and keep them on track with said task (it also helped to improve my spelling and handwriting!). I really loved being so involved with the sport – it was great to be coaching every day and it was really rewarding seeing the pupils improve thanks to my help. 

I couldn’t recommend a year at SG more; it’s the perfect job for anyone who’s looking to give their mind a bit of a breather after A levels, as well as save some money for uni. I’m sure most people would find it thoroughly enjoyable, and I would suggest to anyone who has the opportunity to do it – throw yourself into it completely – you’ll have a blast!

Working at Spring Grove was one of the best experiences of my working life. There was never a dull moment, always things to do and people to see. During my time, I had so many learning opportunities, for instance; I was helping in sports lessons, being an assistant in the classroom and working in the forest for Forest School when they needed help!

At SG, there are so many amazing people to talk to and every member of staff can help you with ease when you need support. Working within all the departments of the school and attending all of the lessons with the children in my class has helped me gain skills I never thought I’d have, such as playing sports, or playing a djembe or even painting backdrops and making props for school shows/assemblies. Meeting all the staff and the children was the best experience of all, there are so many different personalities at the school and they all shine through in different ways, a truly unique experience.

Overall, Spring Grove has filled me with confidence and a sense of belonging for my future career and I couldn’t have asked for a better gap year at all!  Thank you to everyone in the SG team and all the children! 🙂

During my time as a Gap student at Spring Grove, I experienced a truly rewarding journey. The energy of the pupils and their genuine curiosity made each day feel new. I had the privilege of working alongside dedicated colleagues who inspired me to try my best and be as devoted to working at SG as much as everyone else. The supportive and collaborative environment helped me grow both professionally and personally. 

When I started working in September 2023, I lacked confidence and often second guessed myself, however over the year with the help of the colleagues around me I increased my confidence and by the end of the year was able to do things I would not have thought of before. SG gave me more responsibility than I have ever had, and I was able to create incredible memories that I never thought I would’ve done going into the year. Everyday brought new challenges alongside countless moments of joy. 

Working at Spring Grove has allowed me to understand how special it is to work in education, how you can watch students develop over the year in confidence, skills and friendships was incredibly fulfilling. It was more than just a job at SG it was an incredible family community that I was honoured to be a part of and will be forever grateful for the opportunity.