To take DS on holiday during work experience week

[Flufty191]

DS is year 10. We live in a small town. He's due to do work experience next summer. He/we have contacted every company in the local area and have either had no response, been told they don't offer work experience or the work experience places are already taken.

His options now are a charity shop or the school canteen (the canteen is the schools only help if you're unable to secure your child a place somewhere).

He's already doing voluntary work for his DofE.

Would I be unreasonable to book a family holiday abroad for a week instead?

Yanbu-book it
Yabu-he should do the work experience.

Not all schools do it, not sure whether that depends on area or if it's school head/board decision, or some other reason.

Well yes. But someone somewhere must want the kids to do work experience...who is it? The government?

@Flufty191 are you prepared to pay the fine for termtime holiday?

We would at the place I used to work for, but ok.

👍

I'm sure you've considered this, but the school will probably want to visit your son at his work placement. Just in case you care about getting 'found out'.

I’ve never heard of a school visiting a DC on work experience, there were three hundred per year at my DC’s school, that would be a very busy week for the school staff.

I got visited. The tutors went round and tried to check in on people to check it was going OK.

The schools visit our pharmacy when the kids are there.

But you wouldn't lie, just say they are not doing work experience, they already have/had a job. You might get fined for unauthorised absence.

That he shouldn’t feel pressured into wasting his time in a canteen because of an idiotic idea the school has had …

Why are you assuming he'd be 'wasting' his time though?

Mixed views.

Work experience can just be a teenager sat there reading some brochures and making the odd cup of tea for everyone!

Equally, I think an example should be set that there will be things we don't necessarily want to do (work experience) but we have a commitment/responsibility to do them!

It is a complete waste time . My daughter is working in a community cafe and all she has done for the last few days is sit there or clean a toilet . The person in charge has no interest no customers either . What has that taught her .

Working for her nanny was a good option which in turn could lead to a caring profession if she choose . But I say go on holiday anyway .

Well said

I remember we were given work experience places by our school. I spent a week in HMV. Complete waste of time - I was given all the annoying cleaning job no one could be arsed to do. Pisses me off looking back.

Work experience week has no bearing on one’s future/university applications at all. You have drunk the kool aid if you think otherwise.