To think sending (academic Yr 10 pupils out on a weeks work experience is a waste of time).

[smokepole]

I can understand the point of work experience, for some pupils but surely the more academic pupils would be better off having the week in the classroom. My DDs 2 grammar form teacher agreed with me, along with all the difficulty in finding work placements and insurance implications. It surely can be of limited benefit for students who will mostly go in to higher education. I believe schools should be able to decide which students, would benefit from work experience . The schools should also be able to decide to opt out of the scheme, if they think there 15 year old pupils would benefit more in a classroom environment.

On the other hand for non academic pupils, it can be a pleasant change.
This was the case for pupils from DDs 1 secondary school, who in many cases actually enjoyed their week in industry. It is also more relevant to those students as most will not go in to higher education and therefore, helps them gain relevant experience early.

It's not unusual to get 5/5 uni offers, btw Belloc. DS1 as did the vast majority of his friends, they are all state school educated.

My 6 yo already has work experience serving in her uncles shop. She already is savvy about money and saves every penny whereas her much older sister with no work/life experience cant wait to spend any she gets. Both are academic btw.
Real life work experience in invaluable ime.

My hairdresser was chatting recently telling me many academic students she served were totally clueless outside of uni.

YABU academic children need work/life skills also.

No, I was saying that looking at rolls of schools for English GCSE where work experience diaries were submitted for assessment, there was a correlation between placements and names. To be fair this was an inference in terms of influence by class and parents in terms of the names, but without doubt, all the top-placed students had work placements in BBC/media/law. I was addressing the point about about "fabulous contacts".

DD has already benefiited from her WE at the vets. She has seen her first tom cat neutering and duly came over all faint, so got that over with .

It was certainly an eye opener to the 'Modern' kids about making 15 applications and receiving no replies from the companies applied for. This happened to a lot of pupils at both yr10/12 levels and is in total contrast to what I have heard and seen for DDs 2 friends and classmates.

I can see that happening. I went to a comprehensive but it had a solid reputation - as good and strict.

I image the DC at the local sink comprehensive, with a bloody awful reputation will find it harder than pupils at other better thought of schools to get anywhere local.

all the top-placed students had work placements in BBC/media/law

I thought these area were actually very well known for being being very bad for nepotism at all levels. So I can image even WE refelecting that.

ah. Oh. Yikes.

tbh, this subject has been bugging me this morning and yesterday over on Belloc's thread.

I can see that there is one rule for say 95% of pupils. Work hard, study, get WE blah blah.

But for the other 5% it all works differently.
It is a case of work yes. But WE is not necessary in some instances. As there are guaranteed work placements amongst friends. Very very good work placements.
So if you need experience, there is no trouble in getting some amongst friends of those running industry or high up in it.
And it is reciprocated.

And scarily, parliament works like this too. And law etc.
Does you daughter want to do some research in parliament. No problem? And I will provide WE in my fashion house for your son.

I suppose it has always be thus. But it is much more visible nowadays.

But then I got to thinking. We run a tiny tiny business. If someone we knew wanted to do WE here, we wouldnt have that much hesitation in saying yes. As that is the polite thing to do. There would have to be some safety considerations, well a lot actually. But it is doable.

But equally, we would approach friends if our child wanted to do whatever.

Perhaps it is just a case of some are doing this at a much higher level, and that is not their fault?

I dont know what others think?

I think it's partly nepotism but also the school's reputations some pupils are working against.

Sort of a double wammy for poorer families no contections and schools more likely to be not as good - so their DC have to work harder to get good WE.

reallytired - He absolutely does not see shop work experience or any work experience as beneath him.

He may not see it as beneath him, Belloc-but he isn't applying for any so I don't really see the difference!

Delphinium - Eh. But I've already told you. He doesn't need a job for work experience nor for a CV. And he already earns sufficient money to cover his small costs. So he isn't looking for a job. You are really quite maddening.

I image the DC at the local sink comprehensive, with a bloody awful reputation will find it harder than pupils at other better thought of schools to get anywhere local.

See, I suppose local may be a bit key as well.

If you are already in a London school, WE may naturally be better quality than say WE in[have to be careful here], Leicester? [disclaimer :my knowledge of Leicester is at about 0]

Leicester is a very thriving City and just happens to be where DD1 is hoping to go in September/October to study Forensic Science.

ha!
Not sure if that makes me clever or stupid!

My husband is very academic (phd in very technical science) and works for a company that employs very specialist technical workers (team of 8, 6 have doctorates and other 2 are working towards). It is a good job and they turn down a lot of graduates. He is involved in recruitment and I asked him if work experience matters and he said YES. Not just the few weeks at school but weekend jobs and internships etc. With two candidates with identical academic achievements they will go for people who look like they have good work ethic, whether that's pulling pints or in a shop. They worry that people who have only done academia will struggle with long hours, getting on with colleagues and external clients and have a rose tinted view of work.

magpiegin - Your husband is talking about the graduate job market. This thread is about work experience for school kids and pre university. Not the same thing.

magpiegin - and lol at "my husband is very academic". What a silly thing to say.

Sorry Op but I don't agree, work experience is about having a taste of what it's like to work, surely if a 15 year old thinks they may want to be a teacher it will benefit them to see what it's like to work alongside a teacher ( help them decide if that's what they really want to do)?

Pot calling the kettle......... Belloc

marne2 - don't school kids spend all day in classrooms with, erm, teachers?

Your husband is talking about the graduate job market. This thread is about work experience for school kids and pre university. Not the same thing.

But one leads on to the other?

TheFairyCaravan - huge best wishes for your son especially during the early weeks of Phase 1.

DS is at the earliest stages. He has had first interview and needs to go back in a few weeks.

But Belloc, being in a class doesnt tell you what it is like to be a teacher. It doesnt tell you about lesson prep, it doesnt tell you about how marking is done, it doesnt tell you about pastoral care, it doesnt tell you how to communicate with parents etc etc

IMO this is one of the huge problems with teacher recruitment and one of the reasons for the high drop out rate in the early years of teachers' careers. Too many graduates think back to their school days and think they know what it is like to be a teacher.

In just the same way being a patient doesnt tell you about being a doctor or a dentist.

Thinking about it - it is more than 20 yrs out of date. My father died more than 30 yrs ago and he was on the SW examination board for his profession and in charge of graduate training. I remember now his wry smiles at some applicant's idea's of 'finding themselves' ( quite prevalent in 1970s) and they went on the reject pile. He was looking for far more in a 21/22 yr old than someone who had done a subject because they 'liked it' and had seen university as a 'finishing school' to grow up.
That attitude will work if you have family connections where you can pull a few strings and get them on an internship and hope that they can then pull their weight.