Y10 work experience! Where to start?

I would say the best thing would be a shop/cafe /restaurant where they might keep them on for a Saturday job.

DS1 did his Y10 WE in a book warehouse. 8.00 - 4.30 with lots of time spent putting dust jackets on books and heaving boxes around. It was very useful as an experience in what the world of work might be like if he didn't work a bit harder at school so he could get a job doing something he actually wanted to. The company he worked for were lovely, gave him a good reference and a book token. He sorted his own Y12 WE out, one week with GE and one with Airbus.

I used to take work experience students. I used to tell them it didn't matter whether they loved or hated the actual job, it was experience of being in a workplace that was useful. Very different from school. Being in a much wider age group, a different hierarchical structure, a much longer day, access to customers or service users, following instructions in a new environment, being without the support of their friends or teachers etc etc so I would argue all work experience is relevant regardless of where it is or whether it's a job that you actually want to do.

DD spent two days of a two week placement in an ice cream shop .... hated it so much she returned to school on day 3, and she absolutely hates school .

Had this nightmare last year. Lots of places now wont take under 16s as too much hassles. We randomly got a week at our local Pets at Home branch. DD loved it and was the envy of her friends who got to be at their Dads office

I am distressed about this, too.
DD refuses to consider something ordinary like chatting to folk in a care home, helping in a charity shop or sweeping up hair in a salon.
So she is getting upset (crying fits) that her queries to other possible employers are not successful.
DD shrieks at me if email the WE person at her high school to ask questions, like what happens if they don't arrange their own placement.
Whole thing is a giant hassle.

I am completely freaked out by thought of DD in my office! We would argue so bad.

I know what you are saying knitting - it was a good placement and hard work but she rode there 3 days a week and worked from 8 til 5:30 on Sundays anyhow so it was nothing new. I wanted her to interact with adults more - answer phones, deal with customers, that sort of thing. Of course, you can't force your children to think like you and I caved under pressure. My daughter knows to get me when I'm busy and stressed and I'll do anything for an easy life......
Some of my year 10 boys got placements at primary school, particularly helping out with PE/sport. If you know a primary school teacher maybe something to enquire about.

Stables sound like a very good placement though? Surely that is useful enough..and quite hard work into the bargain.

unfortunately son hates animals, unless it is resident pet

Teacher here too - Noble's summary is 100% correct.

My daughter did work experience last year. The school (outstanding in all areas) offered no help at all other than call us in for a 2 hour meeting telling us it was the students responsibility to sort out. My daughter has no idea what she wants to do - she just wanted to work at the stables where she rode regularly. In my indignation I told her no chance she had to do something 'useful'. She organised nothing. Good placements went quickly - no chance at Vets or Hospitals for example. I managed to sort out places at the leisure centre, hairdressers, local farm shop & travel agents through people I knew - all which she dismissed haughtily. In a moment of exasperation I just said stuff it and let her goto the stables for week (which then shut down but that's another story).

Now we are in year 11 with end of secondary looming and she still has no idea what to do.......................................

My work placement wasn't actually in a school - it was helping in a old folks' drop in centre - but I was completely the wrong person - too quiet and shy; they needed someone bubbly and outgoing to cheer them up!

Helping in a real school would have been perfect for me - and given me authority - I think some children/teens come out of their shell relating to younger children, and gain gravitas.

Park ranger sounds another good idea for ds; I'l look into that. There's also the local museum - may have reopened by next June.

Like everything else related to schools, sounds to be lots of variation from one school/area to another.

Our son's school have a list of local employers willing to offer the work experience, so it's just a matter of choosing a few and sending off the applications. Works very well as the "employers" are vetted and the school have all the paperwork in place, i.e. EL insurance, employment policies etc.

I think it's sad that some kids end up doing work experience in schools - that's not going to give any experience of the real world.

Knittingwithnettles Do you have a country park nearby? That was the fallback work experience placement at school, a week being a park ranger. They started off litter picking and progressed to helping with the little train.

I've been thinking a bit more and feeling a bit more confident now that the best setting for ds would be outdoors, helping others or doing something quite simple and practical/stamina based, so I think the NT might be the best place to start, or some historic house and garden.

I can remember doing work experience at school and being given completely the wrong placement; I was as good as gold, as quiet as a church mouse, and learnt nothing except to keep my head down.

I'm a teacher who has done lots of work experience visits. Lots of students (girls especially) go to the local nurseries and primary schools. Some go to shops - the best shop was Waitrose, they gave breakfast and lunch in the cafe!
A lot of other students work with relatives. The ones who can't be arsed to arrange a placement end up working at school helping the caretakers/office staff.

bumping this from a previous poster.

Anyone's child volunteered at NT? Or local nursery/primary?

Ds1 was never asked to do a work placement, but Ds2 school has it has a regular part of Year 10. He isn't very organised or literate [has EHCP] but good with children and willing to muck in.

I'm at a loss really because he needs to need so much supervision/explaining/reminding to get anything done (has HFA) Are employers used to this in 15 year olds? He is very articulate though and polite.

Feel angry with school for making me feel so helpless. I know it is not their fault, but why do they have to make me and him feel second best? What about a bit of prompting on ideas for placements, instead of saying it needs to be organised by student fullstop.

Dh is self employed and most of friends and family do not do anything which would be remotely transferable to ds (mostly self employed or in another country)

That's brilliant Ormirian. We're working blindfolded here. Thanks a million. Will get onto it now!
Thanks again.

Thanks for reassurance Gnome (love your name). Am still v worried though, as have had all "no, sorry" responses this week, and still no confirmatory form back from the place who have offered DS one week out of the 2.

Am sufficiently concerned to have emailed (last Thursday) the teacher with responsibility for work experience. Awaiting a reply.

Orm am at your reference to downloading a letter template. Nothing like that here. No advice over how to contact firms either - had started off with letter writing, but no response from that, so have resorted to phoning or emailing.

My previous message was directed towards Ormirian!
Or indeed anyone that can help me!
Thank you.

Hello
Another panic-stricken Mum of a Year 10 here!
Is there any chance that you could please mention the LEA website that you have used? Even if it's not my area (Surbiton/Kingston/Wimbledon), I'm sure it will provide some useful tips.
Many thanks

ibbydibby if it's any comfort, my DD's work experience wasnt actually confirmed for July 2011 until January 2011 (applied much, much earlier). The company had a process which they followed no matter what the school's process was.

If you have had some sort of confirmation then I would just live with that. Explain the situation to the school. This certainly worked for DD.

Am very envious of the help and support that some of you seem to be receiving from your DCs schools on obtaining work experience placements.

We have received a letter from the school, which merely states that we help our child find a "...self-generated" placement. It does say we can ask our own work place, but DH and I both home-based, so little scope there, and no relatives near by to ask. So we are assuming that we are to assist DS1 in finding something.

DS1 wrote to 2 places in July 2011 (for 2 week placement in July 2012) - no reply from either. I followed up one of them 3 weeks later, but the person I needed to speak to was unavailable, and would call me later in the day. She didn't. Left it until after our summer hol (in the hope a letter would arrive - it didn't), then DS1 called at end of Aug. Was given a verbal "yes" on phone, but only for a week. Promise of a confirmatory letter to follow. No letter. I called office again in mid September, spoke to someone else who said that if as a verbal "yes" had been given, he would follow it up with a confirmatory email which arrived later that day. I also explained to the person concerned that I needed to send in a form for completion, and return to DS1's school. I sent this in in mid September, and have still not had it back. Rang today, and confirmed that it has been received, but person I spoke to unsure of what has happened to it, so will leave work expereince lady a message for her to call me back.

But that is only the first week of the 2 week block, so DS1 has also written elsewhere, and again no reply from letter sent mid September. Rang that office and again the person I need to speak to is unavailable. (though encouragingly tied up with a work expereince person) I have spent so much time on this.

Not sure why I am posting, but just venting as I feel unsupported by the school over this. I clearly remember going to a parents' forum at the school 2 years ago, and this lack of support over work experience was brought up then. Don't think much has changed.

DD did two weeks last year working for my old employer. It was great experience for her and she really enjoyed it. In the past she has said that she couldnt ever possibly work in an office. Getting some real experience of an office helped her see that an office is just a place to work.

At this stage it doesnt really matter what the work itself is. One week or two having to get on with new people, turning up on time and generally being as helpful if you can without getting in the way is all good experience.

Last year DS did it, and loved it, school arrange the whole thing and helped him with applications.
He ended up doing two weeks with local branch of Barclays bank, he was supposed to do only one week with them and another week with a local building company, but at the end of the first week staff at the bank asked him via school if he wanted to stay for one more week with them, he was given all sort of responsibilities and duties, which he enjoyed immensely.
He was kept very busy, doing a full day work, at the end of it, they have written comprehensive and detailed reference which in their words can come very "handy in the future", so yes work experience has it's place IMO.
If your DS wants to do music shop I would definitely encourage it, it is his first experience with grown up working world, I think it's important your DS enjoys it, good luck