Students from Warwick University took part in a programme to offer additional study skills support to our students in prison. This was another initiative to reduce the isolation of studying in prison and help students to feel part of a Learning Community.

One of the students has written about her experiences on the programme.

Hi, my name is Bea and I have recently graduated from Warwick with a BA in Education Studies.

 I have always been passionate about social justice and widening participation and this only heightened whilst learning about  a wide range of educational issues within my degree. Therefore, when the opportunity arose to become involved with this project, I jumped at the chance to be involved. I was always interested in prison education and wanted to learn more about the organisations that work alongside prisons to provide a quality learning experience, despite the restrictions in place. 

 Before being set up on the secure phone system, myself and my 4 peers were given a period of training to help us learn more about DWRM and how to appropriately answer the phone and answer the wide range of questions/queries the people calling may have. This was invaluable as it made me feel confident with my communication (although until I took my first call I was still pretty nervous!). We were given the same learning packs as the students so we were able to understand the learning content and even go away and do some light research on the topic to ensure we felt up to speed with what they were learning. 

 When taking the phone calls with the callers, I assisted them with a range of queries. Many of the phone calls related to essay writing support or generally asking about their topic. Many of the callers were keen to talk further about university life although I had to try my best to redirect the conversation as these phone calls were strictly for academic support purposes. Having said this, it was evident that the callers found it valuable to talk to current university students and I personally found it insightful to hear people within the prison system be so aspirational about their current and future study. 

 Overall, my involvement with this project highlighted the importance of prison education as a form of rehabilitation. It reaffirmed my belief that education doesn’t just belong in a mainstream school classroom and that it really does have the power to change lives. I left the project feeling deeply inspired to pursue a career within education and social justice and was able to enhance my teamwork, communication, and organisation skills along the way. 

 A big thank you to DWRM and Sally for providing us with this amazing opportunity.