Year 10 Work Experience
Information for Parents
Year 10 Work Experience will run for 2 weeks from 2 – 13 July 2012
It involves the student carrying out particular tasks or duties, more or less like an employee would. But with the emphasis on the learning aspects of the experience.
Please read this Parents Guide for more information
Year 10 Work Experience
Information for Parents
Year 10 Work Experience will run for 2 weeks from 2 – 13 July 2012
It involves the student carrying out particular tasks or duties, more or less like an employee would. But with the emphasis on the learning aspects of the experience.
Why do young people go on Work Experience?
- To gain an insight into the world of work
- To aquire employability skills
- To develop self awareness and confidence
- To begin to understand the links between school subjects and the world of work
- To start appreciating the skills needed to succeed in the labour market
This will take place between 2-13 July 2012, providing your child is up to date with their GCSE coursework.
Prior to the student embarking on the placement, the student and the employer should be fully briefed on both health and safety and the opportunitiesw for learning.
During the placement a responsible person from the school should visit the employer to check on the welfare of the student and to monitor any health and safety issues. Should the placement be too far for a visit, then the person will telephone to carry out similar checks.
Following the placement, debriefing takes place to monitor what has taken place and in some cases to develop the personal skills and evidence for accreditation that has been achieved.
Several Acts of Parliment govern work experience, the main one being the education (Work Experience) Act 1973. This Act states that students on approved schemes of work experience are deemed to be workers in all respects other than they must not recieve payment. The employer however assist with expenses if they wish to.
Work Experience plays an important and integral part in the education of students. In most schools it is directly related to certain aspects of the National Curriculum.
Students obtain placements by either:
- Contacting an employer direct, which is known as an ‘Own Find’ placement
- Being matched/helped by the school’s database of employers. Using the information on the completed ‘Selection Form’ .
In both cases, no student will be allowed to go to an employer unless they have been visited by a health and safety qualified employee. Checks are made on the quality of the placement and in particular on the health and safety standards. A young person will not be placed in an organisation that does not have Employers Liability Insurance.
Frequently asked questions:
- What if the placement does not match my child’s career aspirations?
Any work experience, irrespective of the occupation, will provide your child with the opportunity to aquire transferable personal skills that will be useful for the rest of their working life.
- Why do students not recieve any payment while on work experience?
By the 1973 Act of Parliment, work experience is required to be a learning process and the Act therefore prohibits payment. However, in some cases the employer may offer out of pocket expenses to provide travel or lunch.
- Why does the Work Experience process have to start so early?
All employers have to be visited to ensure all placements meet strict standards set for both quality and safety. This visit is an essential aspect of the process
- What if my child is unhappy?
Discuss the problem with your child and if following your advice your child is still worried then please call:
Mrs S. Woolsey – Work Experience Coordinator – 020 8461 9619 – in the first instance.
- What about health issues?
It is important that the school are made aware of any medical or other issues associated with your child so that they are not placed into an unsuitable environment.
Please contact Mrs S. Woolsey if you have any other question – 020 8461 9619