Work Experience: an Opportunity to Work in Partnership with our Local Community
7 August 2023 - All
Since the pandemic, the Careers Department has been working hard to ensure pupils can once again access vital, in-person work experience opportunities, enabling them to gain insights and real-world encounters as they consider their future career options. We are grateful to the network of Seniors and parents who often assist us with facilitating these opportunities.
Work experience is particularly key to the application process for pupils hoping to study Medicine. Over the past two years, we have been delighted both to establish new partnerships, and also to renew some existing relationships, with a variety of local organisations. Our LVI pupils hoping to apply to study Medicine now have the opportunity to attend weekly, local work experience placements allowing them to gain valuable, in-person experience in different settings.
Our local work experience partners include care homes, a hospice, a special needs playgroup and a nursery school. Staff at these organisations kindly give their time to support our pupils over the course of the year. To grow these relationships and enable our pupils to show their appreciation, we have begun a series of visits to support our partners. To date, these have included providing musical entertainment at two of the care homes and organising an art workshop at the nursery school. These initiatives are pupil-led and a wonderful opportunity to thank our placements hosts. We have also been able to donate a piano to one care home, enabling both residents and staff there to enjoy the gift of music.
“Thank you so much for the piano! That really is very kind of you. It’s getting lots of love and many of our carers play each day to the residents. It’s been wonderful hearing music throughout the day.”
Work experience supervisors have some very positive comments to share about our pupils and the girls attending these placements find the experience hugely beneficial.
This is reflected in some wonderful feedback we received from a hospice patient earlier this year:
‘This week the participants [in Chair Yoga] were treated to something rather special. Last week, Ariel had noticed that the room we exercise in had a piano. So instead of listening to our teacher’s usual playlist Ariel played the piano for us instead, and wow, what an amazing talent she has! I can’t believe the energy and time she put into it, to make it all come together. She played for the whole hour and it was beautiful – I noticed all the staff members even came to listen behind the glass doors, it was a very special moment, and really made my day…. Please can you send my gratitude and heartfelt thanks again to the two girls, Ariel in particular for her beautiful impromptu piano ‘concert’. What a wonderful, unselfish thing to do.’
We look forward to organising more placements and visits and express grateful thanks to our work experience partners: Ryeview Manor Care Home, Shelburne Lodge Care Home, Butterfly House Hospice, Marlow Opportunity Playgroup and Bowerdean Nursery School.
For further information on work experience opportunities please contact Becky Scott, Careers Administrator ([email protected])
Mrs Becky Scott
Careers Administrator
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