Schools rightly have to be vigilant about the health and safety of their pupils. Child protection is a key responsibility. All visitors will need to register at reception and may be asked to wear a badge. All volunteers working with pupils need to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. This is not a reflection on church members; it applies to anyone involved with pupils in a school. It is an essential check to protect children from the small minority of people who abuse positions of trust.
It is important to remember that visitors are invited into a school. Schools will have a code of conduct and have high expectations for visitors, since all adults in a school are role models for pupils.
Many schools have a dress code for teachers, which is a useful guide for visitors. If in doubt, go in casual-smart clothes and wear shoes, not trainers.
Be punctual. If you are contributing to a lesson or collective worship, make sure you don't run overtime. Schools work to a timetable and will not be happy if the whole day is upset because you were late or ran overtime. Pupils will not be impressed if they need to miss some of their break to make up lost time.
Always be polite and respectful. Christians and church members should be willing to serve the school, to 'outrageously' bless and support them.
If you are helping with input to collective worship or an RE lesson, keep it simple and age appropriate. Remember that many pupils (and staff) have no knowledge of Christian faith, beliefs and practice and are not familiar with Bible stories. Don't assume knowledge that they don't have and don't use Christian jargon.
Focus on sharing your faith, not imposing your faith. This creates a very different feel for everyone attending. Direct proselytising is inappropriate in schools.
Remember that collective worship is a compulsory activity for pupils unless their parents have taken the step to withdraw them. Invite pupils to participate in worship; don't do things that force them to participate. For example, invite pupils to join in a prayer or say 'Amen' by saying something like, 'I am going to say a prayer. Please join in, if you want to, by saying Amen at the end'.
Ask yourself what you would feel comfortable with if you were in an assembly led by someone of a different faith from you. Then behave in the same way.
Get into the habit of using 'non inclusive' language. In church, it is totally appropriate to say 'we believe' because it is reasonable to assume that the people in the church are Christians or are there because they want to be. In a school setting, it is important to use phrases like 'As a Christian, I believe that...'. Or 'Christians believe ...', or 'Paul was a Jew, so he believed that ...'.
A visitor should never be left in sole charge of pupils, or alone with a pupil in a private space. If you are volunteering in a school, the teacher remains responsible for the pupils and their behaviour. Of course, you need to ensure that you don't excite pupils inappropriately and 'wind them up' as the teacher has then to deal with them later. You will not be popular with the staff if you do that, and may well not be invited back! If you feel that you need support with managing the behaviour of the pupils, ask for advice from the teacher concerned or headteacher.