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Aims

Through Work‐Related Learning (WRL) and Enterprise activities, we aim to:

  • prepare students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life
  • enable students to develop skills, attitudes and abilities which will enable them to be effective in a variety of adult occupations and roles
  • help students develop career awareness and enable them to manage personal career development
  • enable students to handle careers information realistically and assist them to make informed choices
  • allow students to experience the ‘World of Work’
  • enable students to develop an entrepreneurial spirit
  • provide students with transferable skills that can be used throughout their lives
  • enable students to have better financial capability and economic and business understanding
  • provide opportunities for students to be enterprising through applying their knowledge, skills and attributes

Commitment

The Governing body and staff are committed to:

  • encouraging students to aspire, achieve and excel
  • encouraging students and parents and carers, and employers to be involved with WRL
  • working with stakeholders and our agents, Medway Education Business Partnership (MEBP), so that students can gain access to meaningful work experience in Year 10 and 12
  • encouraging students to participate in activities that help develop an entrepreneurial spirit

Provision

Students in Year 10 and 12 participate in a week of WRL. They can organise their own work experience placement subject to a health and safety check or opt to attend a placement organised by MEBP.

Speakers for Schools WRL opportunities are also promoted on appropriate Google Classrooms (based on the opportunities eligibility criteria), which gives students the chance to gain additional work experience on top of the opportunities available to them in Years 10 and 12. Many of these opportunities take place at weekends or during half-term meaning that students can gain experiences outside of Years 10 and 12. Placements offered by Speakers for Schools are a mixture of in person and online to aid accessibility.

All students are encouraged to sign up to the Pathway CTM Programme, which notifies students of work experience days, insight events, employability skills sessions and ‘get into industry’ events related to the sector/industry in which they wish to work.

Searching and applying for WRL opportunities is also encouraged using the Kent Volunteers website (Kent Volunteer Partnership), which helps students to develop skills for the future.

The school actively supports BAE’s Engineering Taster Week, whereby aspiring engineers are invited to apply for a week of work experience. Students are supported in their applications for this opportunity.

Students in Year 7 participate in a STEM workshop hosted by the former School Captain working at GSK as a mechanical engineer. The aim of this workshop is to introduce students to engineering as well as giving them the opportunity to develop their teamwork, analytical thinking, creativity, time management, and leadership skills. Additionally, students are given the opportunity to build upon knowledge developed in topics within maths and science.

Entitlement

All students are entitled to:

  • receive opportunities to engage in Enterprise activities and to receive information about a range of WRL opportunities.

Students in Year 10 and 12 that participate in WRL are entitled to:

  • receive the support they need to organise their own placement or opt for a placement organised by MEBP.
  • receive supporting information on the WEX google classroom (including how to contact employers and researching possible placements) 1:1 question and answer sessions and assemblies on how to make the most of the experience.
  • receive support in reflecting on what went well during work experience and how they could improve themselves for the future.

Equal Opportunities

The WRL and Enterprise programme is designed to meet the needs of all students at the school regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation and religion. It will be tailored as required to meet the needs of any individual with any disabilities to be totally inclusive.

In addition, it will help students make informed decisions about their future working lives, recognise the importance of lifelong learning, identify and develop work-related skills, and recognise employer expectations. It will support the entitlement detailed in the CEIAG Policy.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Review

WRL is facilitated through the use of an agent, the Medway Business Enterprise Partnership (MEBP). We have a timeframe to meet certain deadlines to provide MEBP with student information to enable them to facilitate placements or carry out health and safety checks where students organise their own placements. Students complete a Work Experience (WEx) diary which is assessed by the Work Experience Coordinator (WExCo). All students are encouraged to aspire to the WEx Excellence Award which requires them to write a report based upon what they learnt during their WEx week. Once placements have been completed students and employers are encouraged to complete an online survey and given Form time to write thank you emails to the employer. The WExCo and a representative from MEBP meet to debrief and discuss the process and the survey results form part of that discussion. Feedback is received on both sides and acted upon, as appropriate, to improve the student experience.

Other WRL opportunities are also monitored, evaluated and reviewed, although the formality of this is dependent on what the opportunity is. Similarly, any Enterprise activities are monitored, evaluated and reviewed, so that the school makes the best use of its resources and that these opportunities are deemed fit for purpose.

Relationship to other parts of the Curriculum and other Policies

WRL and Enterprise comes under the remit of Careers Education and Careers Education is conducted in accordance with the school’s equal opportunities policy and other relevant policies. The whole school remit of careers is recognised and the curriculum is developed alongside that of other areas, including PSHE and Citizenship (taught within Life Skills and Religious Education) so that careers education is an integral part of the whole school curriculum.

Management

The Deputy Head, Mr Morris, is responsible for the overall management of WRL which comes under the remit of CEIAG. Delegated responsibility for the planning and organisation of the Year 12 work experience is with the WEX Coordinator, Mrs Hill. Mr Coate holds the same responsibility for the Year 10 work experience. Both work closely with MEBP to facilitate this.

Resources

WRL tutorials/lessons are provided on health and safety at work, gender stereotyping, different work patterns, pay slips, prejudice and discrimination, ageism, future employability, etc. Students and parents are provided information on how to organise a work experience placement and this information is also available on the school’s website. For all other WRL and Enterprise events students and parents are provided the relevant information.

Approved by School June 2022

SA1