Junior Church Teacher - Duties and Responsibilities

Junior Church Information

• Junior Church is held during the service most Sundays (except 2nd Sunday of the month when we have an All Age Eucharist and children remain in church.)
• The children leave for Junior Church after the children's talk and song. The session runs for about 45 minutes. The children return to church (with the teachers and helpers) for the distribution of communion.
• Teaching material is provided. We use the material called Roots. This follows the readings and themes for each Sunday of the year. It offers background information for the Bible readings, suggestions of how to tell the Bible story, plus a variety of activities for different ages. Sometimes other material or ideas will be suggested by the Chaplain or others and teachers are also free to also add their own imaginative ideas.
• The JC sessions are taught in English (though if teachers and/or helpers are able to speak a few words to some children in German or French when necessary this can be helpful.)
• There are many resources for drawing and craft activities in the JC cupboard. The JC register, the special JC candle and JC prayer as well as the JC collection bag are also kept in the cupboard. (NB It is the responsibility of all teachers and helpers to keep this cupboard tidy and inform Ruby if anything is missing or running out.)
• Currently, there are around 5-10 children at JC most Sundays (sometimes more, sometimes less). Ages are between 4-11. Children are taught together at present but we hope to be able to divide into 2 classes, one for younger children and one for older children, at some point.
• We also have a creche for children under 4. This currently meets in the same room but with different helpers from JC.
• It is obligatory for all JC teachers and helpers to do Safeguarding checks and Safeguarding training. St Ursula's is committed to comply with our Chaplaincy Safeguarding Policy Statement as laid down in the Diocese in Europe's Safeguarding Policy. We must ensure that all JC teachers and helpers have completed their necessary Safeguarding checks and Safeguarding Training and that the latter are kept up to date. This enables us to provide a safe and loving place for our JC children.

Specific Duties of a JC Teacher

1. A Junior Church teacher must be a committed Christian and a regular worshipping member of St Ursula's.
2. A Junior Church teacher is a member of the Junior Church team and expected to attend JC team meetings (in person or online). These meet 4-6 times a year.
3. He/she signs up on a rota (usually prepared one month at a time) making clear which Sundays they are available to teach. Teachers are encouraged to all take their fair share if possible. (Ruby Wildhaber is the co-ordinator of the rota).
4. The teacher prepares the material before the session (any photocopying can be done through the office, if requested by Thursday lunch time).
5. The teacher leads the session (in English). There is always at least one adult helper (and usually 2) present at every session. JC helpers encourage the children with activities and calm down any disruptive children, but the teacher is responsible for the overall programme of the session and how it works.
6. The teacher begins the session each week with the lighting of a candle and the Junior Church Prayer and takes the JC collection (for TearFund Schweiz Uganda project). Closing in prayer is also encouraged.
7. The teacher is responsible for making sure the register recording the names of children and of all adult teacher and helpers present is completed.
8. The teacher is not responsible for providing food and drink.
9. The teacher seeks to be alert to the needs of the children present and tries to be flexible with the prepared teaching and activities if necessary.
10. The teacher commits to getting to know the children, building up a good relationship with each child, and praying for them regularly.
11. The teacher shares the duty with other teachers (on a rota basis) of writing a short article about JC for the church magazine. (The magazine comes out every 2 months.)
12. The teacher will hopefully take part in special JC outings, events and activities, and attend training workshops depending on availability.
13. The teacher commits to keeping up with the Diocese in Europe's Safeguarding checks and training which have to be renewed every 3 years. This is essential. To be a teacher Safeguarding training level C2 'Leadership' needs to be completed.
14. If the teacher has any concerns about a child or any issues that come up in the Junior Church sessions, he/she should speak to the Chaplain (Helen), Safeguarding Officer (Cecily Klingler) or Assistant Safeguarding Officer (Maxine Wildhaber).
15. The teacher must record in the JC Accident book any accident which occurs during Junior Church or during any JC activity.

Written by Revd Helen Marshall and JC teachers, February 2023