Don't schools usually do work experience in Year 11?

[HmmmIwonder]

Dd had talk from careers officer at school assembly this week, and he said they don't do work experience in Year 11, it only happens in Yr 12. I'm a bit miffed about this, the school used to do it in Yr 10 and Yr 11.
From what she said it sounded a bit like 'work experience is a very good thing but do it yourself because we can't help you'.
Ok a lot of kids do sort stuff out themselves (Dd has done some voluntary work experience, after a bit of background research from yours truly) but what about those who don't have the time/ parental support?
And what should I be doing something now? At the moment i'd rather she was concentrating on her school work than trawling round the local shops looking for jobs.
Careers advice at my own school was non-existent and there was no such thing as 'work experience' - but that was a long time ago and I really hoped things were a bit better by now, seemingly not

[noblegiraffe]

My school does it at the end of Y10, Y11 would be a dreadful time to do it as it's GCSE year (especially now exams are linear).

[Littlemisstax]

My school used to do it in year 11, at the end of June, after GCSE exams had finished.

[HmmmIwonder]

Dd's school did zilch in Year 10 and apparently same in Year 11.. this is a problem because she'll be applying for Sixth Form places against other kids whose schools have arranged WE for them last year, it seems unfair.

[noblegiraffe]

There's nothing stopping your DD arranging her own work experience.

[IShallWearMidnight]

problem with WE in Y10 is that the DC are under 16 which puts lots and lots of firms off taking them on. Loads of DD2s year struggled getting something and ended up back at their primary schools for the week.

Y12 was easier, as there's no CP issues.

[HmmmIwonder]

thanks everyone. Noblegiraffe, Dd has arranged her own WE,in the last summer holidays, it's just that I'd hoped the school would step in and help her get more WE this coming year. I think there's enough for her to do without her going round local shops etc searching for a job.
I can understand the problems with age etc. Dd won't be 16 till after end of Year 11, so that's also a problem with her getting her own WE, again I thought school placements would help with that aspect too.

[noblegiraffe]

If she has done WE then what are you worried about? Sixth form aren't going to be arsed about it, especially if it is of the local shop variety.

[RussiansOnTheSpree]

DD1's school does it in Y11. They did their GCSEs in Y10. I think it's a right pain actually, particularly if a DC knows what they want to do, and is working towards that, but it doesn't 'fit' the typical WE profile. :(

[Talkinpeace]

DCs school cancelled Year 10 work experience as it cost too much.

Also, as the current year 11 have to be in full time Education till 17
and the current year 10 till 18
its a bit pointless doing it before GCSEs nowadays

[TheProsAndConsOfHitchhiking]

My ds done it in yr 10.

[BackforGood]

Here they do it in Yr10, but it does limit them as H&S won't let some places take on U18s or U16s in some places.

If it's too much work for her to find a placement for 1 person, why do you think the school would have time to find placements for 180 people (or however many there are in the year) ?

[Talkinpeace]

Backforgood 300 per year group in many of the schools round here ....

[BackforGood]

quite..

[MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic]

DSs school cancelled it for Yr10 as of this year, they now do it in Yr 12 only. They decided to use the week to arrange workshops in various job skills instead (CVs, personal statements etc), and also got people in from local businesses and colleges to give them ideas about what they want to do after their GCSEs. It all sounded pretty good actually, but DS1 didn't go because we'd actually already arranged for him to shadow some engineers for the week.

The school said it was a lot easier to find placements for Yr12s plus the fact that last years Yr10s would have to stay in education/training until 18 anyway, it wasn't worth the hassle it took to organise.

[Ragwort]

I didn't think that schools 'found' w/e places for pupils anymore? Isn't it up to the pupils to find their own? Use their initiative etc etc. Yes, I know it is hard (I used to be the only person in my workplace that would take on work experience pupils ) but surely it's all part of growing up and being independent? Most young people seem to have plenty of time to spend facebooking/texting etc etc so surely it can't be that hard to spend a bit of time and energy looking for w/e.

I do have a teenage DS before anyone flames me .

[TheBuskersDog]

Why do you think having done work experience is relevant to her applying for sixth forms? No sixth form is interested in what work experience schools offer.
My son has just started Year 12, they did it last year in October. He did one week, how much are you expecting your daughter to do - your posts come across as if you expect her to be doing a lot. Also you mention trawling round shops to find work experience, I'd aim for something a bit more interesting unless she is hoping to go into retail.
Doing WE in year 10/11 made sense when lots of kids left school and started work at 16 but is less relevant now.

[RussiansOnTheSpree]

I've been informed - not sure it's authoritative though - that we will have to pay for the two music lessons DD will miss as a result of her WE and she won't get the time made up. She's got an exam coming up on one of them too. I'm not impressed.

[Labro]

Lots of schools used to do it in Year 10, then the placement services used by many schools had their funding cut, which meant that they were no longer viable, they then cut things like Connexions and it became evident that H&S, insurance and CP issues were way too much for 1 teacher to handle. Plus, the expectations of the children themselves and the parents were impossible - I used to work for a placement service, each year 10 was asked to list 3 choices, which typically read 'graphic design, vet/doctor, fireman/policeman/paramedic' with the proviso that they only wanted to work from 9.30 - 3 and it had to be only 1 train stop or 20 minutes bus journey away - hence the move to have older students doing work experience!

[LolaAndIsabella]

My brother has just finished school and he did his in January of year 10 x

[englishteacher78]

Yup, we've dropped it since Connexions as vanished. There's not the time or money to arrange it in house. The students are supported in arranging their own.

[creamteas]

My DC's school have dropped WE in year 10 as well. Now it can be done in year 12, but is one of a number of enrichment activities that can be chosen.

If WE is selected, the pupils have to arrange their own.

[bruffin]

DCs school also dropped work experience in yr 10 much to DDs disapointment. DS did it in yr10 then was supposed to do work shadowing in yr12 but it clashed with something else and he has a lot of experience working in different industries for a 17yr old.

[cory]

Our school does it in Yr 10, but pupils are responsible for arranging their own as this is seen as a crucial part of the learning experience. Seems sensible to me since:

a) teachers are surely far busier than secondary school children

b) teachers don't need to practise this skill having already demonstrated their ability to get a job

[bigbluebus]

DS did W/E in Yr 10, but he was responsible for arranging it himself. Anyone who didn't manage to get a placement had to stay in school and do various work related activities.
It was extremely difficult to get a placement as many firms had already allocated places/didn't respond/wouldn't take him because he was only 15. He was lucky I the end and was given a place by a small firm who I think felt sorry for him as their own daughter had done W/E the year before and had probably had the same difficulty. The downside to his placement was it was 2 miles off a main road and near a town which has no public transport connections from where we live 8 miles away. It was only doable as I could take him and pick him up.
I think many schools are giving up on work exp in Yr 10 as it is getting more difficult to arrange.
He is now in Yr 12 and has to find another relevant placement. He is interested in Physics/Engineering - not easy to find anything let alone something relevant when you live in a rural area.