Work Experience

1. WHY DO WE DO WORK EXPERIENCE AT THORNTON?

We have a legal responsibility to offer all students the opportunity to complete a work placement before they leave school at 16. We therefore offer our students a work experience placement lasting one week in Year 10.  Work Experience will take place in May this year, further details can be found by reading the following information.

2. HOW IS EDUCATION BRADFORD INVOLVED?

Before we can use an organisation for work experience, it has to be assessed for Health & Safety. Qualified Health & Safety personnel carry out risk assessments of employer’s premises to ensure that they are safe for work placement students. Bradford Education arranges for these risk assessments to be completed and, once a company has passed a risk assessment, it can be used for placements.

3. HOW DO STUDENTS CHOOSE A WORK PLACEMENT?

Each student is asked to select three different types of work placement in order of preference. We then try to match their choices with companies who have been approved by Education Bradford. We can usually manage to place students in one of their three choices, BUT NOT ALWAYS.

4. WHAT ABOUT STUDENTS WHO WISH TO ARRANGE THEIR OWN WORK PLACEMENTS?

Students who wish to arrange their own placements should complete an Own Placement form and return it to Mrs Metcalf. If the company is already approved we will request a placement for the student.

However if the company has not been checked for Health & Safety we will ask Education Bradford to carry out a risk assessment visit to ensure that the student will be working in a safe environment. If the organisation fails the risk assessment the student will NOT be able to use it.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IT CAN TAKE UP TO FOUR MONTHS FOR A RISK ASSESSMENT TO BE COMPLETED.

5. HOW FAR DO STUDENTS HAVE TO TRAVEL?

The approved placements on the Bradford database are situated in ALL POSTAL AREAS OF BRADFORD. We also have some placements available in Leeds. Our school librarians will assist any student in finding out about bus routes to their work placement.

N.B. We will, as much as possible, place students within one bus ride of home, so it is essential to provide us with a full home address and postcode.

6. WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE?

Some placements carry a high risk e.g. garages. The school has an insurance policy that covers all student activities, including work experience. However, you could be at risk if your son/daughter completes a placement at a company that has not received approval for health and safety. In these instances, the school will not give permission for the student to go to that company.

7. PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR.

For some placements, students are asked to provide special items of clothing or footwear e.g. overalls and steel toe capped boots for garages. Many placements will refuse to take students if they do not have the necessary safety footwear or clothing.

We have steel toe capped boots for students to borrow during their placement. They need to ask for a request form and get it signed by a parent. This should be returned to Mrs Metcalf in D1 Office with a deposit that will be returned when the boots are brought back in good, clean condition after the placement.

8. WHAT HAPPENS TO STUDENTS WHEN THEY ARE ON PLACEMENT?

Students will be introduced to a supervisor who will have responsibility for them whilst they are on work placement. They will have an induction session, where they will be made aware of expectations, health & safety rules, evacuation points etc.

When students are out on work placement, a member of staff will act as a mentor and visit them to check that all is going well and to sort out any problems the student may have. If a student, parent or teacher is concerned about health or safety at the organisation, Bradford Education will be informed and the placement removed from the database.

9. WILL I HAVE TO DO ANY WORK FOR SCHOOL WHILST ON PLACEMENT?

Students will have a booklet to complete whilst on placement.

10. WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

If you have any queries about any of the above information or about work experience in general, please contact Mrs Metcalf or Mrs Banks. Parents can telephone school (01274 881082) and students can see Mrs Metcalf in Technology Office (D floor) or Mrs Banks in her office.