Work Experience occurs for a week in Year 12 from the 4th – 8th July 2024.

Organising your own placement

Students are expected to organised their own placement

For all placements organised (in or outside Kent, i.e. London) students must submit the details of their organised placement to Mrs Hill via the WEX Own Placement Information Google form.  (Available in the students WEX 2023/24 classroom).

This information must be submitted by Friday 22nd March 2024.

Please note: This date is contractual and non negotiable. It is set by our partners, Medway Education Business Partnership (MEBP).

The details required are:

  • Company/business name, address, telephone number and website.
  • The contacts name, position, email address and telephone number
  • The nature of the business

Any information received after these dates will not be sanctioned.

We provide our partner Medway Education Business Partnership (MEBP) with the information so they can organise all the Health and Safety checks for the Work Placements and arrange job descriptions for the students whilst  on the placement..

MEBP also provides a selection of placements for students who do not manage to arrange an Own Placement.  However these are a fall back option and the scope available will not necessarily be in line with a student’s career plans. However they will still learn valuable work skills and experience of work.

Attendance at all placements is compulsory.  Please note that the Schools’ Foundation Sports Day is on Saturday 6th July.  Students have to attend both and do not get a day off in lieu – just like in the working world!

If students need advice on how to contact or approach a business and what to say, please direct them to Mrs Hill. A WEX help desk will run weekly in the 6th Form Study Centre after the Autumn term Break.

Please ensure that they do not organise any trips, University visits or appointments during the WEX week.

More information will be shown here and given to year 12 students in due course

Frequently Asked Questions

What safeguarding arrangements are in place for students on work experience?

MEBP ensures that all placement providers are adequately Health and Safety and insurance checked by NEBOSH-qualified EBP personnel, and are DBS checked where considered necessary. In addition, all students undertake preparation in school, covering health and safety in the workplace, the use of the Work Experience Log Book and employers’ expectations in the workplace. Furthermore, parents and students sign and return the Parents Agreement to approve the job description and risk assessment. The school will monitor students on placement via telephone contact. 

Students who attend a school or nursery for work experience are not allowed to work 1:1 with any pupils. 

Who organises Work Experience?

Students are strongly encouraged to arrange their own placements (with some parental assistance) which are subject to Health and Safety checks by Medway Education Business Partnership. They also arrange appropriate job descriptions with the company you put forward.  MEBP can also provide work experience placements for students on behalf of the school, where necessary.

Why ask students to organise their own placements?

We want students to organise their own placements wherever possible. Last year 166 of 222 students organised and attended Own Placements. The whole experience the students gain outweighs placements where they are asked to just select from a provided list. From company research, identification and selection, approaching and communicating with an employer, self-organisation, regular travel and attendance, to logbook completion. This all builds confidence and provides students with the satisfaction that they completed the process independently, and really helps inform a career path.

It also provides students with relevant work experience that they have organised, which, in an increasingly competitive job market, helps to equip them with the confidence for University interviews or Apprenticeship and job applications. Previous students have communicated how beneficial their Work Experience was, although it was not necessarily realised at the time. Having to seriously think about their careers, explore different types of career paths, employer contact and gain a valid work experience placement, focused their minds on the options open to them. It also provided relevant experience for their University applications and Personal Statements, Apprenticeship applications and CVs.

Students on Work Experience have also benefited from Companies going on to offer them student Internships whilst at University, summer and weekend work and Degree Apprenticeships, based solely on their week with them. It is the start of the students’ understanding of the real working world and highlights the importance of effective communication and networking.

For students who do not manage to organise their own placements, we provide them with a selection of MEBP local placements to choose from.  These are also beneficial, and give sound work experience, however they may not offer the breadth of subjects or career paths the students may require.

Do MEBP offer a choice of placements?

Yes, if your son or daughter does not organise an own placement, they can make up to 4 selections from the MEBP list subject to availability. These are allocated on a first come served basis and are available from the week beginning 10th May 2024. However, the choice placement is limited and this is only provided as a back up.

When are parents and students notified of the placement?

Parental consent forms and Job descriptions are issued between mid June -5th  July onwards.  Parental consent forms must be signed and returned as soon as possible. If they are not signed and returned by a parent, the student may not attend.

In the rare event that a placement falls through, students are offered the opportunity to reselect from the MEBP places that are still available. Very occasionally there may be no availability, in which case students attend school for the week as normal but participate in different activities.

What should I do if my son or daughter doesn’t like the placement she is offered?

Students often do not understand what a placement has to offer until they have tried it. In most cases they have originally chosen it and need to be encouraged to attend. The basic idea of work experience is to gain an experience of work in some form and although they may think it is not the ideal placement for them, they will learn. Indeed they often learn more from an experience outside their expectations and comfort zone.

Who do they contact if there is a problem whilst on the placement?

Students first point of contact is Mrs Hill, who can be reached at the school by email on elizabeth.hill@sjwms.org.uk (the week of work experience,at any time) or by telephone during school hours on 01634 844008 ext. 241

What if my son or daughter is sent home from the placement?

You must contact the school immediately. The school will contact MEBP. Legally students attending work experience are still involved in a school activity.

What is the Work Experience Log Book?

This is a log book designed for the student to record the daily activities and experiences of their placement and that helps them to identify and develop specific skills. There is a section for employer feedback and parental feedback. The book is handed in at the end of the placement to Mrs Hill. All sections must be completed.

Excellence Award

This is further to the Log book and is a certificate issued to excellent students. To apply for this students must inform Mrs Hill of their intention to obtain it, complete a separate section in the Log book and write a report on their placement, with evidence of interviews and further information concerning their placement.

My son/daughter gets free school meals – will a lunch be provided at the placement?

No – they will need to take a packed lunch with them unless the employer states otherwise.

My Son /Daughter gets a free bus pass- will this be valid for the placement?

No.