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4th Year Work Experience Letter July 2010

July 2010

Dear Parents

FOURTH YEAR WORK EXPERIENCE 2011   

I would like to give you some information regarding our Work Experience programme for the current third form students next year.

This year we will be offering students the opportunity to undertake a one week placement. This will commence on Monday 23 May – the week before the half term break.

I have already discussed the aims and objectives of Work Experience with all third year classes and encouraged students to take as much responsibility as they can for planning and finding their own placements. The reasoning behind this is that some students or their parents may already have access to contacts or prospective employers.

Placements and Employers

Most employers have taken pupils from a number of schools for many years, and have well established practices. All participating employers have to sign a form (see blank copy of WE4 document attached) agreeing to strict NYCC regulations which include items on insurance cover and Health and Safety. Because of these regulations it is important that placements are within the North Yorkshire area – or in a neighbouring authority. Any placement outside the area will necessitate a special Health and Safety inspection by NYBEP (North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership) which will incur costs, as well as creating difficulties in terms of arranging the school visit carried out during the duration of the placement. For this reason out of area placements are appropriate only in exceptional circumstances. If you have any queries on this matter, please feel free to contact me at school. Employers should make no payment for the work performed during a placement.

Student Preparation

The students will be fully briefed on how to make the most of the experience as well as about administrative arrangements and Health and Safety issues. There will be a number of assemblies and briefing sessions leading up to the start of work experience in May 2011.  

Supervision

One person is nominated by the employer to be responsible for the student. During the placement every pupil will be contacted by someone from the school to ensure that all is going well. Parents will also have out of hours contact numbers for school should they need them. In the unlikely event of a serious problem the school should be contacted immediately. Employers will have emergency contact details for the student for the duration of the placement.

Employers are asked to write a comment on each student at the end of the placement and this is recorded in the student’s log book. 

Insurance

Pupils are treated as employees under the Employers Liability policy (the employers sign a form to confirm this cover is in place). RGS arranges personal accident insurance through NYCC for all pupils.

Keeping Parents Informed

There will be a Work Experience Information Evening for parents and this will be held in the Summer Term 2011. Details will be circulated nearer the time. We do also ask parents to make their own comments in the student’s Work Experience log book, as such comments are valuable in reflecting on the student’s development through their placement.

First Steps

Clearly most schools conduct a similar work experience programme with other students going on placement at roughly the same time of year. There is inevitably therefore some competition for places within North Yorkshire. Students are therefore encouraged to start the process of finding a placement as early as possible. We would ask that parents and students talk about possible placements and the sort of experience the student hopes to have. Where parents and students may have their own contacts for such placements, it would be helpful for students and parents to make an initial contact and enquiry, and to keep us informed of any progress made.

Once a placement has been found and confirmed in writing please send the details into school. We will then contact the employer and NYBEP to ensure that the relevant paperwork and checks are completed.

NYBEP have developed their database of employers and further ideas and guidance on work experience is available on their website. All fourth years will be given their individual login for this site in September. In addition please find attached some guidance on securing a placement in medicine, local government with either Harrogate Council or NYCC and in the legal profession.

In the unlikely event that a student is unable to find a placement in time we are able to make arrangements to engage in aspects of work experience in school – working in various departments such as the library. We would hope to place everyone with a suitable employer.

Final Deadline - To enable NYBEP to meet the rigorous external checks and for us to have completed all the administration linked to the WE4 agreement form a final deadline will be set. This is likely to be in early March and the exact date will be confirmed next term.

We hope that you will agree that pupils can gain enormous benefits from Work Experience and our experience is that it is a hugely important part of their Upper School experience.

Please complete the school consent form and return it to school no later than Tuesday 20 July 2010.

If you have any questions regarding any aspect of Work Experience please do not hesitate to contact me in school by telephone or email southwellb@ripongrammar.co.uk

Yours sincerely

B A Southwell (Mrs)

Work Experience Co-ordinator