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Valence School

Work Experience

Work Experience is part of the Post 16 offer.

At Valence we offer our students Work experience, Work shadowing and Work observation as appropriate

Work experience may be defined as: a placement on employer’s premises in which a student carries out a particular task or duty, or a range of tasks or duties, more or less as would an employee, but with the emphasis on the learning aspects of the experience.

Work shadowing: in which an individual student is assigned to ‘shadow’ an individual employee going about his or her normal activities, allowing close observation of jobs which for reasons of complexity, safety or security cannot be actively undertaken by the student.

Work observation or visits: in which individuals or groups of students are guided round the workplace to watch a range of employee activities or work processes.

All students have either work experience, work shadowing or work observation visit as part of their year 14 offer. This is closely linked with the student’s aspiration from their Education health and care plan and contributes where appropriate to their education health and care plan outcomes.

Currently students are on work shadowing, work observation visits and not work experience. This is due to the lack of suitable placements. However Valence School continues to strive to widen this to work experience.

The Valence school Work experience work shadowing or work observation visits policy forms part of the school/college development plan, and is regularly reviewed and updated. This work supports “ enabling independence” and helps prepare the students for transition.

The policy is in-line with Kent County Council’s Work Experience and Health and Safety Policy’.

Aims

The Work Experience, work shadowing or work observation will help all students to:

  • Gain experience in and a greater understanding of the world of work.
  • Evaluate their experience and views of the world of work
  • Provide a work related context to support and enhance the curriculum and Key Skills.
  • Gain valuable evidence for their EHCP.
  • Identify their strengths and areas for development.
  • Establish linkage to their chosen career or employment in general.
  • Recognise the health and safety implications of the workplace.

Visits over the past few years have included sports centres, independent computer game developer, cinema, police station, police dog training centre, mechanics, local radio station, library, wildlife rescue centre, theatre and a recording studio