Internships

We feel that students should have the opportunity for work experience but this should not be limited by having to have this experience during a set time frame.

As such, we have developed an Internship programme. The main aim of the programme is for students to experience the working world and see how what they learn at school relates to the work environment. We feel that students will have a more valuable experience if they are able to go somewhere that is of interest to them and at a time that is appropriate. As such, we are running an Internship programme for those students who are interested. It is not essential that all students experience work in this way so the internship programme is voluntary. Any student who wishes to participate in the Internship programme must follow the guidelines below.

The aim of the Internship programme is to give the students more independence and choice over any experience they wish to participate in.  The programme will give the students the opportunity to apply skills they have gained from school and allow them to see how the curriculum fits with their future needs, especially students following vocational courses. It will allow flexibility for students to experience one off events, which the fixed term work experience was not able to do, and avoid competing for placements with other schools. However students will have to explain the reasons behind wanting to go on their placement and the benefits they will gain, as well as explain how they will catch up any work they miss. As students will be able to go on a placement at any time during Year 10 and 11, within reason, they will also need to justify the timing of their placements.

It would be desirable, where possible, that students will find their own placements, completing the form link here. If students wish to participate in the internship programme but are struggling to find a suitable placement they can speak to Miss Hields for help.

Guidelines

• Applications should include details of the placement, including dates, and a letter justifying their desire to go on a placement, explaining why the placement will be a valuable experience for them, a description of the sorts of tasks they will be doing and a plan on how they expect to catch up the work that they miss. Applications should also include the completed student own placement form.
• Students should liaise with the employer and ensure that a student own placement form is completed. Parents should be aware that there may be a cost involved to ensure that placements meet insurance and health and safety requirements.
• All applications need to be returned to Miss Hields, giving at least 4 weeks notice for the placement with the paperwork complete.
• Placements can be any length of time, up to a maximum of 2 weeks.
• Students won’t be allowed to go on a placement in the 2 weeks preceding an exam.
• Students will need to get permission from their teachers at least 2 weeks before their placement to ensure that they are up to date with work and to organise a plan to catch up the work that they miss. Link here to internal form
• Attendance in school should be over 90% for the preceding term for a student to be given permission to go on the placement, unless there are extenuating circumstances.
• Students will need to produce a report, in the media form of their choice, within 2 weeks of the placement describing what new experiences/skills they have gained.
• There will be an expectation that all work that is missed is caught up within 2 weeks of the end of the placement. If the work is not caught up in the student’s own time then there will be an expectation that the student will spend time in the library until the work is caught up.

The school reserves the right to stop a student going on a placement.

If you have any queries please contact Rebecca Hields, Assistant Principal (Transition & Curriculum),  on 01763 242344 or rhields@bassingbournvc.org

Useful Links

Internship form 

Work Experience Placement form

The aims of internships