Work experience

[EvertonManager]

Good afternoon,

 

I have been on the forum for a while, but this is my first post!

 

I am a nursery manager and have been approached by a local school to enquire about some of their young people to come to us on work experience.

 

Has anybody got any advice?

[Lyanne]

Interview them first and only have 1 at a time!

 

We have work experience students from a variety of secondary schools near us. They're usually fine, but several years ago, we had 1 school beg us to have 3 students (in 1 room because that's all we've got), then on the first day beg us to have another who 'Didn't like Woolworths' (as I said, several years ago!), and our then manager agreed.

 

4 teenaged girls who all know each other and don't know you and don't appear to want to work with children (sitting in the book corner cuddling the cleanly dressed little girls all day isn't really all we do...) and have no intention of listening when the staff say 'Now, Meg, can you can and help with the playdough? Jo, can you be with the water tray? Beth, can you help with serving snack? And Amy, can you be at the mark making table?' isn't fun. Our manager had various irate phone calls to the school whose only advice on the last day when all four came back from lunch drunk was to suggest we phone the police!!

 

We don't take students from that school any more...

 

We now only offer 1 placement to each school or college at a time, first come, first served, and insist that the potential student comes for an interview before the placement starts. They need to come in and be told what we expect of them, and that's when I start the induction.

 

We give them a form to fill in with their contact details, asks for any medical details eg asthma, emergency contact details and school/college contact details, and if they'll have coursework to complete while with us.

 

Can't do DBS checks for people under 16 so work experience students from schools don't have them; college/6th form students do have them.

 

We explain dress codes and the need for coat/sun hat/other weather appropriate clothing.

 

We've also at times when it doesn't work for us said we can't have students when we would usually, such as when we've had more than 1 new staff to do induction with at the same time.

 

Think about what you want them to do/not do and make that clear.

[Lyanne]

Interview them first and only have 1 at a time!

 

We have work experience students from a variety of secondary schools near us. They're usually fine, but several years ago, we had 1 school beg us to have 3 students (in 1 room because that's all we've got), then on the first day beg us to have another who 'Didn't like Woolworths' (as I said, several years ago!), and our then manager agreed.

 

4 teenaged girls who all know each other and don't know you and don't appear to want to work with children (sitting in the book corner cuddling the cleanly dressed little girls all day isn't really all we do...) and have no intention of listening when the staff say 'Now, Meg, can you can and help with the playdough? Jo, can you be with the water tray? Beth, can you help with serving snack? And Amy, can you be at the mark making table?' isn't fun. Our manager had various irate phone calls to the school whose only advice on the last day when all four came back from lunch drunk was to suggest we phone the police!!

 

We don't take students from that school any more...

 

We now only offer 1 placement to each school or college at a time, first come, first served, and insist that the potential student comes for an interview before the placement starts. They need to come in and be told what we expect of them, and that's when I start the induction.

 

We give them a form to fill in with their contact details, asks for any medical details eg asthma, emergency contact details and school/college contact details, and if they'll have coursework to complete while with us.

 

Can't do DBS checks for people under 16 so work experience students from schools don't have them; college/6th form students do have them.

 

We explain dress codes and the need for coat/sun hat/other weather appropriate clothing.

 

We've also at times when it doesn't work for us said we can't have students when we would usually, such as when we've had more than 1 new staff to do induction with at the same time.

 

Think about what you want them to do/not do and make that clear.

[EvertonManager]

Thank you so much for this Lyanne, that is really useful! Really appreciate you taking the time to answer!

[louby loo]

Yes to one at a time! :lol:

 

We also 'interview' them and when they start induction almost the same as staff (We do this with volunteers too)

 

Over the years we have learnt to be tuff with them- and from day one they buddy up with staff member and do the full range of jobs. Obviously not personal care. We are strict from the start otherwise as Lynne above says they do tend to gravitate to the book corner with the girls.. :huh: ::1a ::1a

 

I used to have a project books which I gave them with a small task for each day, but over the years the work experience has gone from 2 weeks to 1 week and often only 4 days.. Which to be honest I cant see the point of- but I suppose it gives there teachers time to catch up on the pupils paperwork at the end of the year. I don't mean that as a dig- everyone needs a few hours at the end of the year :1b .

 

Depending on how long they are with us we try and get them to make some kind of display with the children which we then give them a photo of for their own records if they genuinely want to take up childcare.

[louby loo]

And we make them fill out a simple application form - With why they want to do it, and past experience - this is things like babysitting helping out at brownies etc.

[Lyanne]

Poor girl we had last week - it was the first week back to their school as well as our first week back, so instead of going back to school for Year 11, the school kick all the year 11s out for a week. Thursday afternoon, some random lady turned up saying 'I'm here to see Daisy' (she had ID or wouldn't have got as far as the lobby. I take her into the playroom saying 'Daisy, here's your teacher, Miss March, to see you.'

 

Later, I say to Daisy 'I'm really sorry she just turned up like that, usually we get a phone call at least the day before saying someone's coming to see the student, but she just turned up.'

 

Poor Daisy says that's fine but she'd never seen that teacher before!

[blondie]

we also get them to read our safeguarding and confidentiality policy = anything they read we get them to sign so no come back to say they never knew / were told.

i think its luck whether you get good or bad student - some just see it as an easy option -rather than work in a shop etc which may be longer hours - others really want to be there and are great.

we also have to sign a log daily to say they have been there -they also have to fill out sections saying what they have done - enjoyed etc.,

[blondie]

i would also say dont have more than one student at a time unless you can put them in different rooms as they may not have known each other before their first day but they suddenly become the best of friends !!!!

also let them know about lunch/drinks etc.,

[Stargrower]

Our work experience students have gone from two weeks, to one week, to three days, to one day! It seems so pointless. I do a brief induction with them, make sure they shadow a member of staff but that is all. How they can gain experience of the work place in one day is beyond me. Most of them only do a 'school day' as well so six hours work experience!

[Inge]

All good advice, I also asked for a contact number at the school for a named person at the school who would deal with any issues, or I could contact if they failed to arrive.. We had so many who just did not turn up and the school were assuming they had.. not all have a log to sign the persons attendance.

 

Ensure they know the dress code from the start, we had one who constantly wore skirt too short and midriff on show, thong showing , all the things you don't want . Sent her home to change, came back no better, so gave her the biggest uniform sweatshirt that covered her up , and made her wear it, explaining why , next day she did return in better clothes .

 

As all have said, experience shows one at a time, or you can end up spending too much time trying to deal with the students rather than the children..

 

They can though be a joy to have when they really want to be there.

[blondie]

yes also make sure they complete registration form- next of kin, contacts, phone numbers, any allergies etc., - we had a girl several years ago who forgot to tell us/ write on her form that she had bad asthma and an inhaler - could have been trouble if she had had a bad attack as we wouldnt have known / be aware to give her the inhaler etc.,

[FSFRebecca]

We also have a brief chat with their head of year to find out what they will be able to do - we had one who had learning difficulties and found the activities with the children too challenging but she was amazing at tidying, washing up and serving snacks - she wouldn't have made good nursery nurse but she would have been a very valuable asset to any cafe or restaurant. If we hadn't known a little about her background we wold have just thought that she was not interested in being with the children and so would have felt negatively towards her. However, because we knew in advance what her capabilities were we were able to provide her with an extremely valuable work experience with a good reference at the end. It does take up staff time though acting as a mentor.

[EvertonManager]

Thank you everybody for your advice! I am still getting used to how to work this forum!! Not sure when people have replied to me!

[FSFRebecca]

Thank you everybody for your advice! I am still getting used to how to work this forum!! Not sure when people have replied to me!

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