Work Experience at Woodchurch High School is usually carried out in Year 10 and lasts a week. It is the Local Authority’s policy that all young people in their last years of secondary education or beyond, take part in a work experience scheme during school time. This is part of their education in preparation for the World of Work. Work Experience gives pupils the opportunities to gain more of an insight into the workplace as well as learning about the world through work. It also provides an opportunity for pupils to develop their employability skills.

These include:

• Teamwork
• Co-operation
• Problem solving
• Decision-making
• Communication
• Presentation
• Time Management
• Planning
• Leadership
• ResponsibilityInitiative
• Creativity

Work Experience is not provided to help employers select young workers, neither is it to train people in a particular job before they leave school. Neither is it usual practice for them to get paid. All placements that pupils undertake will have to undergo a risk assessment by an appropriately qualified member of either school staff or by a representative of MPloy Solutions, contracted by the school to support the delivery of Work Experience. These risk assessments ensure employers / placement providers hold relevant Employers Insurance, Public Liability Insurance and are aware of their obligations and duty of care.

Where placements for pupils are arranged by the pupils directly, or by parents, a ‘Self Placement’ form must be completed and returned to school at the earliest available opportunity. (This form can be downloaded and printed from this site.) For these placements, if any are not currently part of the Work Experience Scheme, a risk assessment will be undertaken before school can agree to the placement. It is a requirement that pupils do not engage in any ‘solo – working’ with employers / providers in line with DFE Safeguarding Children Guidelines. Any Work Experience a pupil undertakes will occur only during the dates specified by school. In addition, it is not expected that pupils should work outside of normal school hours, except where on a specific agreement has been reached between the employer / provider and pupil.

A brief job description will be issued to pupils prior to the commencement of the placement. These will include a brief outline of the type of tasks they will undertake, as well as contact details and hour s of work. Participation will normally involve some medium expenditure for fares etc. and the midday meal will have to be paid for, or provided from home in the form of sandwiches. Where special clothing is required the employer will usually be able to assist although school does have a medium supply of safety boots/overalls for loan. (A safely wear request form can be downloaded from this site.) Expenses may be claimed for travel which exceeds the normal amount that a child would incur travelling to school. However, school will only reimburse for placements within the local area (i.e. Wirral) on production of a valid receipt e.g. bus ticket, and this must not be that for an adult’s fare. If parents wish to make arrangements for their child to go to a placement outside the school catchment, it is their responsibility to arrange and fund transport.