Charging to arrange Yr10 work experience?

[TurnipFish]

I have received an email today from my dt's school saying they have had to consider the financial implications of facilitating work experience and will be asking for voluntary contributions of £30. Is this normal now? I'm tempted to ask for a breakdown of the costs involved, particularly as I have 2 children in the year!

DBS and insurances?

Our school doesn't do y10 work experience because it has got too hard to try to find 250 kids placements. They can no longer do things like go out with a plumber in his van for the day due to child protection etc.

The cost was covered by government until a few years ago but they withdrew funding and the agency that finds and checks the placements still charge £30. School budgets cannot meet this cost, we charge and the ones who don't go stay in school following a collapsed timetable. It is a shame but public sector cuts ...

Not sure what use y10 work experience is. Given your in school until 18 now, a week spent in a shop making tea and photocopying at 14 is as useful as a chocolate teapot.

A week of 8.30 to 5 folding jeans in a shop can really spur a child on to work hard to achieve their ambitions. They often return with a much better work ethic.

We don't do work experience in year 10 any more. Without the funding it was just too expensive to justify. The two weeks of missed lessons would be a nightmare with the new GCSEs too. We have so much to cover in such a short space of time.

I can see why schools that do still do it would need to pass on the cost. I think year 10 work experience will die out though.

Our school does work experience in the June of yr 10, just a week. We are being asked to contribute £60 per child. Head teacher said that 5 years ago, parents didn't have to contribute anything, but with the current state of finances we are being asked to pay part of the costs.

My school (teacher) has abandoned work experience due to funding being removed. Only those on a limited education program do it through SEN department.
My children's school do work experience in year 10 but the children ( or in my case the nagging parent) organise it themselves so no cost. If placement outside a certain distance school will charge if they have to go and check it out.
I'd pay £30 for it to be organised by school.

Our school don’t charge but the kids find their own placements.