To take DS on holiday during work experience week

It would also be of value to him to try to find something, and if not then do what the school sets up during this work experience week.

Yeah, that comment may have been a little tongue in cheek!

He is doing work experience in the summer and as part of his DofE. That isn't less valuable because it didn't take place in the specific week the school put by for work experience.

Kids have their whole lives to work. His work ethic isn’t going to be shaped by specifically doing work experience in that particular week. I doubt years from now just as he is being offered his dream job, the interviewer will shuffle the boys cv, glance down and say “hand on a minute, you missed work experience week. sorry you aren’t qualified to work here.”
Unless the OP has missed some vital information, the world won’t end if she takes her child on a holiday during the term and saves fortune. He can do work experience in something he is interested in during the summer.

This is the definition of pandering imo. He needs to try harder, it's all part of being independent and being able to stand on his own feet a bit.

Taking him on holiday because he thinks he is too good for the options provided by the school is ridiculous.

It really is ages until Christmas so he's got plenty of time to find something.

I think he'll try harder if you tell him he'll be in the canteen if he can't find anything else, than he will if you tell him you'll whisk him away on holiday.

But if you can find something purposeful for a week in the holidays instead, I think that's worth a conversation with the school. I don't know where they will stand on it because they are responsible for their pupils' safety during school hours but not in the holidays. If he was injured doing school mandated work experience in the holidays that could be a serious issue for them.

In that case I'd agree to that and book the holiday. Although it will be unauthorised so possibility of a fine.

He isn't though!
Do you realise how much training each of those professions need to go through, and also the qualifications needed for at least two of them?
Actual work experience would be much better than 'playing' at something.

Is there am in between option, like asking an outdoor activity centre if he can do work experience there and make a nice holiday out of it?

How about him learning how to use public transport to get to these bigger towns ?

I'm not sure many people 'want' to stack shelves in a supermarket, though there may be some people it works for/suits. There is more to it than just putting things on the shelves though, there's methods you need to follow (stock rotation for example). Working as your nanny/housekeeper just isn't the same, and tbh I understand why the school weren't thrilled!

Surely the last option, if he really can't find anything, is to go to work with you or another member of your family.

I'm a teacher in a primary school and we take a lot of secondary school pupils who can't get placements, as an arrangement with our feeder secondary schools. Is this an option for him?

If he is hoping to get a part time job at any point, having a bit of experience, even if it is just something to talk about at interview, is very useful.

If I was hiring, I'd be quite impressed by someone who did a week in the school canteen but not impressed at all by someone who thought it was beneath him, only does work experience if it counts towards his DofE award or is at a lovely National Trust property, and is whisked away on holiday by a mummy who similarly thinks that the work experience is beneath him.

And how would it be received at school? Presumably if word gets out that you can book a holiday if you 'can't find a placement you want to do' then many will skip work experience next year.

The pupils on placement at our school also have to submit paperwork and we have to complete a sort of reference for them.

Ds2 did work experience in a supermarket, the school got him a place. He enjoyed it, the staff were lovely and gave him cream cakes and a fiver when his week was up!

I think you should make him try harder. It’s ages til the Christmas holidays so he still has about two months to find somewhere. You say you’ve tried all the businesses (not sure what you mean exactly) but what about things that aren’t businesses? I did mine with a charity that ran a local tourist attraction, it was mostly boring but I did get a summer job out of it which taught me a lot as well as obviously making some money. So have a think about charities - local food bank etc. There’s the council. Other schools/nurseries. Things just out of town like garden centres.

Aren't any of his friends doing it in the nearby bigger town? Could share lifts?

You say he’s done volunteering but that’s generally supposed to be to help others whereas this is supposed to be for his benefit to try out things he finds interesting or learn about other people/places/work.

I'd take him and tell them he's doing work experience as a flight attendant/pilot/holiday rep/waiter/lifeguard.

Work experience is valuable, but it doesn't need to be done in the week the school specify to have value. It'll be just as valuable in the school holidays.

I work in a pharmacy, we take a couple every year (from different schools so different dates).

Have found like a previous poster that what they get out of it depends on the person.

This year, one overhauled our prescriptions for collection storage system when asked if they could think of anything to make it easier now we were so busy.
The other couldn't dismantle boxes to put in the recycling.

Will there be any followup from the school? I know when we had children doing it, they wrote daily notes in their binders and had a form or two that had to be filled in . If that's the case he'll either be in trouble or have to lie .

Have you tried any of the local primary schools or his old primary?Most of ours are happy to get children in for work experience.

Work experience week was a bit of a rite of passage in school and we all liked sharing experiences when we got back, so I think it would be a shame to miss out on that. I would look further afield and budget for taxis if you can't rearrange work to do lifts. We live in London so it wouldn't be an issue but if we lived somewhere remote then I think you have to be prepared for things to not be on your doorstep and accept the extra cost of travelling.

There will be other school holidays periods to go on holiday so no need to go when it clashes with work experience week.

You’ve got your eye on a cheap holiday. That’s cool, I get it.

But dismissing the canteen and the charity shop as being irrelevant is pretty gross.

For my eldest the only option for work experience was stacking shelves in a supermarket so no thanks. There is nothing wrong with stacking shelves in a supermarket if that is what you want to do; he didn’t and if he did he could have got a part time job in the same supermarket and been paid for his two weeks work like the other kids his age who worked there. He did his work experience as my nanny/housekeeper instead helping with his younger sister, housework and cooking. School weren’t thrilled but tough. Go for the holiday.

It is different routine and different graft though, very different!

Is this how you think of all canteen staff, as somehow below you?
I've met some lovely, kind, intelligent people while working in a coffee shop (and the odd stint in the canteen of same store when they were short on staff), and value the experience I gained in that environment, despite going on to work in a different role. Food service/prep might also bring some good experience in customer service and food hygiene etc.

Where has every one else in the year group got work experience?

I had a summer job I hated, it was hard work and so boring. I’m so glad I did it because I’ve never forgotten people did that job everyday, not earning much and not complaining. As an adult I tend not to moan too much about work and I do think the 2 month summer job is a big reason I don’t!

My niece worked in a charity shop, certain evenings for a while - she enjoyed it, made at least one new friend and I think it helped her secure the jobs she's had since (she wasn't able to work during her course for various reasons, so this was a great introduction to work, albeit voluntary).

Canteen or charity shop are not bad options actually. You should be thinking about the skills and 'experience', not whether or not it is a particular job he actively wants to do.

Talking to customers
Dealing with suppliers
Making orders
Health and safety standards
Sales
Handling transactions
Coping with busy periods
Working with colleagues
Following instructions
Using initiative to see and do what needs doing
Picking up new processes quickly
Having a good attitude and not seeing 'basic' jobs as beneath them.