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Application for placements: Full details of the London
Borough of Bexley's
work experience programme appear on this website. Pupils are required
to download and complete an application form and sign a “code
of conduct” form.
Priority will be given to Bexley residents and/or pupils who attend a
Bexley secondary school. The reasons for this are:
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Distance and location – Bexley
would not expect a year 10 or year 11 pupil to travel too far for
their work experience placement. This works with the “Every Child
Matters, be safe” policy.
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Neighbouring local authorities offer
work experience programmes which follow the same principles. Therefore
discrimination is not an issue as provision is made for young people
to apply to their own local authority.
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The London Borough of Bexley's work
experience placements are often oversubscribed.
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Dates: Most schools in Bexley organise their Work Experience
for the summer term although some have now opted for dates in September,
October and March. Dates are published approximately one year in advance.
Please state your preferred dates.
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Hours of Work: To make the experience as realistic
as possible it is recommended students should work a standard eight-hour
day with the usual breaks. Students should not be asked to work more
than five consecutive days out of seven.
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Duties and Responsibilities: Will
vary according to the work of the department, Health and Safety considerations
and the aptitude and ability of the student. Information gained from
the student application form or interview should ensure a meaningful and
successful programme plan. Students will be required to sign a code of
conduct form and wear an identity badge during their placement with the
Council.
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Dress
and Conduct: Students should be required to conform to the department’s
dress code and any breach of this code should be corrected. The vast majority
of work experience students perform their duties in a completely satisfactory
manner but any misdemeanours should be dealt with in the usual way with
a verbal correction and warning. If this fails to correct the situation
the school should be contacted and the student returned to school.
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Health
and Safety Issues: It is essential that students are fully
briefed on the hazards of the workplace and the control measures to
reduce or eliminate risk or injury, before they start work. Students
will be fully briefed by the school on Health and Safety in the workplace
and their responsibilities to ensure their own and others’ safety.
On the first day of the placement line managers should ensure that
students receive the usual Health and Safety induction. Under current
Health and Safety legislation students participating in work experience
are regarded as employees, and the students’ age,
inexperience and immaturity must be taken into account. Students will not
be encouraged to go off-site during their period of work experience.
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Equal
Opportunities: The London Borough of Bexley's Valuing
Diversity Policy will apply to work experience students.
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Pupil Supervision and Monitoring: It
is expected that while students are on placement they will be adequately
supervised by a responsible person and their progress monitored. Schools
are also expected to supervise their students by means of telephone
calls, email and pre-arranged visits to the workplace. An informal pre-placement
interview is recommended, and valuable to the student, and a short
de-briefing session on the last day would highlight and reinforce outcomes
of the work experience period. Students also receive a de-briefing programme
when they return to school.
