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Your questions answered
If you’re a business considering getting involved in working with schools, or a school looking for more information on business links here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions
? ? ? Can I choose a school to work with? Yes you can. If you already have a school in mind through family or friends we would do our best to involve you in a programme that school’s participating in Can I visit a school to see if I can work with them?
Yes – We will organise a visit to a school for you to meet some members of staff and discuss the type of support you could give. You’ll come away with a view of school life and where best your skills and expertise can be used I want to get involved in offering work experience. Who should I contact? Contact The Exchange and we’ll handle your initial enquiries. Your involvement is very welcome. Feedback each year from the 9,000-plus Norfolk 14-16 year-olds who have had a placement in industry or business confirms that it is one of the strongest influences in planning their futures I’d like to work with a school but I have very little time to spare No problem – talk to us. A school will value whatever time you have available and there will be a programme or project that can make good use of your skill and expertise I’ve never worked with a school before. How do I know it will suit me? You won’t until you try! But that’s what we’re here for and you’ll have plenty of back-up and advice. We can tell you what partnership activities work well in schools, provide training and organise visits so you get a feel for the project. You’ll be part of a team throughout - all activities require several Advisers to make them work - and you’ll be able to develop you own skills Who do we contact if we want to get involved with schools in the county? Contact us first and we’ll deal with the first steps with you. If necessary we’ll introduce you to a partner organisation best suited to your interests and availability What is the Food & Farming Challenge? It’s an exciting opportunity for 14-16 year-olds to find out about the many industries that work together to produce the food that we eat Who should I contact to set a challenge for the Food & Farming Challenge? Call us: we’ll explain how the challenges are organised. You set the challenges, which are designed to involve the students in researching the diverse industries, seeking solutions to real problems, marketing, product design and definition, report writing and presentations of findings Will I be Police checked before I start helping at a school? Yes. As you will be working with children and young people a formal Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure process has to be done before you can start working on any programme in a school. Normally it takes about 6-weeks to be completed. However, even when this process has been completed you should not be working 1:1 with a student, or behind closed doors. Every reasonable effort is made to safeguard both the volunteer and the young person from abuse or allegation of abuse What is mentoring? 'Mentoring’ describes the relationship between two people, one of whom is supporting the learning of another. It’s done in business, industry or education and can be face to face, by telephone or increasingly by e-mail, or a mix of the three. Mentoring programmes are very useful in education. They help primary school children with reading, writing and number learning of children. In secondary schools and colleges they help students planning their future employment and career. Mentoring is a proven, powerful support for both people involved. The mentor also develops a range of interpersonal skills, such as communication, team working, problem-solving, listening and planning What happens if I don’t like the school I’m working with? That’s what the Exchange is all about: Our initial meetings are designed to fined out about you and match you with an appropriate project and school. You can visit the school and meet the staff before you start working with them so problems are very rare. But there is no magic formula to ensure that you and your partner school will always be in agreement. If difficulties arise we will handle matters carefully and try to find you a partnership with another school if you wish to continue Does my involvement In Education Business Links work in my school mean more work for my staff? No. Quite the opposite. In most cases links with a business are used to enhance the teaching of individual subjects and will provide valuable insight for your company and staff. Project Workers from The Exchange support schools and businesses in achieving maximum benefit from their partnerships Is it a legal requirement for schools to be involved in Education Business Link Activity? No – schools do not have to be involved in Education Business Link Activity. But since September 2004, every young person in the last 2-years of statutory education (usually aged 14-16 years) has been entitled to work-related learning. So schools must provide opportunities for students to gain insight into the workplace. They can use a variety of activities, such as work experience, visits to companies, work shadowing, interviews with company employees and business simulation activities What is STEM? STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. It works equally with schools and businesses to share best practice in science, technology, engineering and maths. I have heard of Setpoint; what does it mean? Setpoint is a UK-wide network of organisations working with schools and businesses to provide exciting activities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and encourage best practise. The network is supported by all professional institutes and organisations related to science, technology, engineering and maths. The activities in schools help students to see the relevance of parts of the STEM curricula. Do students have to do work experience? No. Since September 2004 schools have been required to provide opportunities for students to gain insight into the working world, called “work-related learning”. But they can do it in a variety of ways whether by work experience, visits to different workplaces, shadowing employees, carrying out projects involving interviewing staff and researching companies, the list is endless Isn't education business links just about work experience? No. It’s for everyone, students, companies, teachers, school governors – all benefit. There is a wide range of activities for all pupils of all ages or abilities, including Mentoring, Business Enterprise simulations, Reading, Writing and Number Partners, Launchpad, Personal Development Worshops, Engineering Tasters, Crime Scene Investigation Simulations, CV Writing and other employability skills Who can help build links with businesses? We have a team of advisers based in three Norfolk locations (Norwich, Kings Lynn andGt Yarmouthwho visit schools and businesses acting as liaison and links Where can I find out about Professional Development placements in industry for teachers and other members of school staff? Call us and we can advise you. Placements in industry or business are very powerful influences on the professional development of teachers, other members of school staffing and the host business. A typical placement lasts 1-day though some can last longer. Each placement is carefully arranged to suit the needs of the teacher and the host business The Exchange
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