​We would like to warmly introduce you to our

parent volunteers

Lidia Botosan*, Cristina Costea, Priyanka Ganguly, Amel Abdoune*, Nadia Mohammad and Alida Preotescu

*Teaching Assistants and Volunteers

Our PEP parents are an integral part of the school and provide support to our community of parents, especially for those where English is not their first language. We currently have six PEP parents who between them can speak: Arabic, Romanian, Pashto, Dari, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya and Punjabi.

These parents are volunteers who have committed to supporting the school on a regular basis. Over the coming months they will: plan and deliver workshops, provide home language support where necessary to our parents and children, update the parent notice board in the playground and update the PEP section on the school website.

Please feel free to speak to any of our volunteers to find out more about the work they do and feel free to approach them if you need support. They can be clearly identified by their ‘purple volunteer lanyards’.

Mrs N. Patel
EAL Leader

 

A message from our parent volunteers

We are part of PEP (Parents Empowering Parents), a group of six parents from different communities. We are volunteers who try to be a link between parents and the school.

We will support Camrose to deliver workshops that will be beneficial to parents and their children.

If you need help you can always approach us in the playground. We are easily recognised as we will be wearing volunteer lanyards and we are always happy to help.

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READ about our PEP parents Achievements and successes

Lidia Botosan

"I have had the privilege of serving as a parent volunteer at Camrose for the past three years. This experience, along with my role as a teaching assistant, has significantly contributed to my confidence and deepened my commitment to supporting families, especially those for whom English is a second language. Alongside my fellow parent volunteers, we have organised impactful workshops, translated essential documents, and provided interpretation services for both parents and children. Additionally, we have developed enriching clubs and activities that encourage community engagement. This journey has been not only incredibly rewarding in terms of skill development but has also fostered long-lasting friendships".

Cristina Costea

"Hello, my name is Cristina, and I'm from Romania. As a member of PEP I help bridge language barriers by translating for the Romanian community at Camrose. I make sure all information is clearly understood by the parents and children so they don't miss out on important events in the school". 

Priyanka Ganguly

"Hello everyone, I am Priyanka, a BSc (Hons) graduate in Botany. I love learning languages and cultures, and I speak Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Urdu, and English. I'm also qualified in British Sign Language (Level 2). I worked as a flight attendant for seven years, during which I enjoyed interacting with diverse people. I became a member of the PEP group in 2024 and since then I have assisted with translations and helped many parents with Google Classroom, ensuring that all necessary information is accessible and beneficial to parents. In my own time, I actively support my son's special education needs by collaborating with educators, attending workshops on managing behaviours, and gaining SEND skills". 

Amel Abdoune

"My first step was to become a PEP volunteer at Camrose Primary School in 2021, which enhanced my overall self-confidence. I then started to attend courses such as the online parenting program and a teaching assistant course to strengthen my skills further. I attained a Level 3 teaching assistant diploma. I am now a Teaching Assistant at Camrose in Year 1. Additionally, I am still part of the PEP volunteering team; we run workshops for parents and an after school Google Classroom club. This has reinforced my communication skills and has helped me build strong relationships with my team".

Nadia Mohammad

"Hello, my name is Nadia Mohammad and I am from Afghanistan. I have one child at Camrose and 3 older children. My first language is Dari but I can also speak Pashto, Urdu, Hindi and English. I go to college at Stanmore to learn English and I attend the Community Village ESOL classes at Camrose to improve my English skills. I volunteer my time to help Mrs Patel with the very new to English parents when they come to school to learn English and I am available to interpret for parents when the school needs me. I also help by translating documents for the school and often ask my brother to support me too. I have grown in confidence and like to be part of this team. It helps me to feel part of the school community and I really like to help my community understand letters and messages from the school".

Alida Preotescu

"In 2022, I began volunteering as a PEP parent. Since then, I have helped to strengthen communication between the school and parents by translating numerous letters sent to parents and providing interpreting for parents. Participating at various workshops organised at Camrose, have helped me become more confident in my public speaking abilities and have given me a better understanding of the efforts undertaken by school to educate the  children. In order to continue helping, I was motivated to search for a new career as a Health Ambassador and Project Support Worker. I am really grateful for the opportunity that Camrose Primary School gave me by becoming a volunteer, learning and developing my skills and abilities".

Workshops

Click here to access the Parent Portal workshop PowerPoint