Senior School

Work Experience

The Aims and Objectives of Work Experience at SHS

Work experience is a valuable part of the broad education we provide. For maximum benefit, we ensure that our students understand the aims and objectives of work experience before they embark on it.

Work experience placements are regarded as a means of achieving certain learning outcomes and is closely linked with the following –

• Developing students’ employability and key skills
• Careers education and guidance
• Experiencing a vocational environment

• Personal and social education

The broad objectives of work experience include –

• A better understanding of the demands of a particular career
• A better understanding of the world of work in general and of the changes within it
• The development of a more mature attitude, with improvements in such as motivation, self- confidence and interpersonal skills
• Insights into the skills and attitudes required by particular sectors and employers

• As students progress in Key Stages 4 and 5, any additional experience provided should be developmental, to include, for example, work shadowing in appropriate settings

Our students are first introduced to the idea of work experience in Year 10 in their Careers lessons. In October of Year 11 the scheme is outlined more fully. The students are then asked to complete and devise an action plan and a pro forma of a suitable letter is suggested. They are asked to have made first contact by Christmas.

The Work Experience experience at SHS

Securing Placements
Students are encouraged to take advantage of family contacts and of the School database. Our Work Experience Co-ordinator, Mrs Good supports and assists them where necessary.

School Work Experience Database
This was set up in 1997 by a pupil as part of her GCSE IT course. It holds a large number of contacts and includes a wide variety of career areas. This database grows each year as new contacts are added.

Pre-placement Interviews
Each girl is given an interview in the Spring Term to review her progress.

Work Experience Administration
The School works in partnership with Trident, an organisation which helps to administer the scheme.

The aims of the partnership are to –

• provide the necessary Health & Safety checks before placements start

• provide suitable placements for students unable to secure their own – although a charge of approx £40 is payable by the student for this service

Health & Safety forms are signed by the employer and a parent. They are then sent to Trident for the necessary checks to be carried out.

An information sheet is then completed by the student. This form is used by the student’s mentor when they visit during the placement.

Preparing the Students
Once the students have their placements arranged, they are encouraged to seek a preliminary visit.
Before they go on exam leave in the spring, Mrs Good speaks to the whole year group. This is to remind the students of the value of carrying out the placement, to talk to them about their conduct and to give them their booklet and appraisal form and finally to reinforce Health & Safety and confidentiality issues.

Mentor Visits
Whilst on placement, each student is appointed a mentor. All the students are visited by their mentor unless the distance is too great. When this is the case, contact is made by telephone.

Placements (2 weeks)
These are completed in the last week of June and the first week of July. Most are with local companies but, increasingly, our students have been setting their sights further afield. Placements have included at the Houses of Parliament, the Royal Academy, Wall Street and in our own Junior School!

Whilst on placement, students are expected to keep a diary and this is returned to the School on completion of their placement. This form is placed in the student’s file and is used when developing their UCAS reference.

There are two opportunities for student debriefing –

Individual
Once the placement is complete, each student arranges a debrief meeting with their mentor. As a basis for this session, the students use their work experience diary and appraisal form. Here they reflect on what has been learned and it also helps the School to plan for future placements.

Group
On the student’s return to school for their Sixth Form Induction Day, a session is planned into the timetable for a general debriefing on their experiences.