education employers leaflet 2011

Guidelines for Placement Providers

Department of Education

Undergraduate 3rd Year Placements

www.bath.ac.uk/education

“I would like to say that it has been an absolute pleasure to have Grace working within the department this year on her placement, she has been a valued member of the team with some fantastic achievements in her time with us. She has been a credit to the University of Bath and has been a fantastic role model and Ambassador for your University. This placement has been extremely rewarding for both Filton College and Grace.”

Filton College, Bristol


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INTRODUCTION The Department of Education is a thriving academic community with a strong national and international reputation for research. We offer a variety of taught programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Undergraduate provision currently comprises the BA (Hons) in Coach Education and Sports Development which capitalises upon the University of Bath’s status as the English Institute of Sport for the South West, its excellent sports facilities and the elite squad of athletes and coaches which comprise Team Bath. The BA (Hons) in Childhood, Youth and Education Studies was introduced to the Department in 2009. The Department prides itself upon the quality of its teaching and provision for students.

In addition, University of Bath is The Sunday Times University of the Year and ranked 5th nationwide in their league table for 2011/12.

About two thirds of our students take up the opportunity to do a four-year sandwich degree course, which includes a one-year placement. Students spend their third year working in a public or private company or organisation.

These guidelines are not intended to be definitive, but incorporate ideas and feedback gained from placement providers and students as to what constitutes a successful placement. We hope this information will be useful, especially if you have not employed a placement student before.

In some cases the placement may be the first real job a student has undertaken; he or she may not have been part of a formal organisation before. The guidelines laid out here represent good employment practices and as such will already be followed by you.

THE DEGREE PROGRAMME Coach Education and Sports DevelopmentThe degree provides an innovative, interdisciplinary and critical social science approach to understanding sport and physical activity, healthy lifestyles, coaching, teaching, sport policy, management and development. The students discover a breadth of academic work on sport, exercise and physical activity all underpinned by a strong emphasis on research. The degree draws on a wide range of subjects including the sociology of sport and physical activity, pedagogy (teaching, coaching and learning), the psychology of sport and exercise, and policy, management and development. Students graduating from this degree are often employed in Sports management, policy and marketing positions, as physical educators, as sports development officers and coaches, or go on to further study.

Childhood, Youth and Education StudiesThis degree is a social science degree that bridges the disciplines of education, psychology and sociology. It explores how young children and adolescents learn and develop in contemporary British society and across the world, and emphasizes relevant policy issues. It is pioneering in that it was developed in conjunction with Department of Psychology. The programme prepares the students for a variety of careers relating to children, youth and family, including social services, non-governmental organisations and teaching, or they go on to further study.

SKILLS THAT A STUDENT CAN OFFER

• All students will have completed two years of their degree, during which time they will have gained a solid grounding in social research methods and theoretical concepts and knowledge

• They are able to demonstrate initiative, to assimilate information quickly and to take on an increasing degree of responsibility

• They are effective communicators with good analytical skills, and are well accustomed to working in teams

• They will have undertaken oral, visual and written presentation of research topics

• They will have been exposed to and developed both qualitative and quantitative research skills

• They will have developed the capacity to work effectively with children and young people.

BA (Hons) Coach Education and Sports Development

BA (Hons) Childhood, Youth and Education Studies

The Department of Education is part of the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences


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STUDENT PLACEMENT OBJECTIVES

These can be divided into five main areas:

1. To gain practical experience in the application and usefulness of knowledge gained at university.

2. To develop personal and transferable skills such as:

• Communication – speaking/writing/listening

• Planning and time management

• Problem solving and analytical skills

• Decision making

• Working as part of a team or responding to leadership

• Initiative and creativity

3. The further development of business skills such as:

• Using computer packages and databases (including in-house systems) to analyse and interpret data. Creation of graphs, charts and similar methods of displaying data, possibly web site creation, desktop publishing etc

• Undertaking research

• Writing reports in a professional manner

• Making business presentations

• Undertaking business correspondence

• Project management

• Attending team meetings, seminars etc, and listening,

• evaluating and contributing where appropriate

4. Learning as much as possible about the profession in which they are working.

5. A dissertation is a required component of the student’s final year of study. Some students may wish to base their dissertation on an aspect of their placement. It is much appreciated if they can be assisted with this where possible.

RECENT PLACEMENT PROVIDERS

Coach Education and Sports DevelopmentLOCOGBritish Olympic AssociationPopulousWatford FCEvent 360London IrishOctagonAthletics New ZealandWarminster SchoolRostrevor College, AustraliaMiddlewich High SchoolBrighton CollegeVictoria University, AustraliaInto the BlueFilton Sports CollegeUpper Hutt City Council, New ZealandClayesmore SchoolI Love TourProgressive Tennis, New ZealandBANESMerton School Sport PartnershipCity Academy Bristol

Childhood, Youth and Education Community Outreach Programme Trust, South AfricaCity YearBANESRossmore Leisure CentreThe Lights ProjectPlatform 51The KindergartensInternational Grammar School, Australia


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WORK CONTENT OF PLACEMENT The work programme devised for students should give them the opportunity to learn and develop, and to assume an appropriate degree of responsibility, so that they can maximise their contribution to the organisation.

A significant amount of the work should be relevant to the student’s degree programme, although it is accepted that most placements will also involve some more routine work.

In past placements, students have conducted research, presented findings in the appropriate form, given talks, organised events and meetings, taken notes, set up and administered databases, participated in the creative process, taken responsibility for projects and generally alleviated the workload where needed.

TIMING OF PLACEMENT Students start to apply for placements during October, with a view to starting work during the following summer (between July and October). The minimum duration for a placement is 30 weeks, but most students complete a whole year. The time can be split between two departments or two different organisations. The student is expected to work a conventional working week of at least 30 hours.

FINANCE IN THE PLACEMENT YEAR Students are currently required to pay a tuition fee of £675 for the placement year. This will change to £2,500 for students starting degrees in 2012. They are eligible to receive a proportion of the student loan.

REMUNERATION Some employers pay the student a salary commensurate with age and experience. In the business and teaching sectors, the salaries currently range from £4000 – £16,500 per annum.

In the charity/NGO sector, students sometimes undertake unpaid placements, but we ask that in such cases an allowance may be provided to cover their daily travel and subsistence costs.

THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS Students start to seek their placement at the beginning of their second year. The Placements Officer has an initial briefing meeting with the whole group and individual meetings with each student. The student discusses the type of placement for which he/she would like to be considered and any general location choices/requirements.

JOB DESCRIPTION Placement providers are required to supply a brief (single page) job description and web links. It should list the main duties and also the skills or attributes required. It might also describe the company/organisation and its function. It will be displayed on the University placements website.

Students apply for those placements in which they are interested under the guidance of the Placements Officer.

MAKING APPLICATIONS There are two main methods of application:

• Sending a CV and covering letter to the employer by email. The Placement Officer can collect and email all applications in one batch, if preferred.

• Applying online through the employer’s website

INTERVIEWS Interviews are usually conducted at the company premises as this gives the students a chance to see the workplace, although they can be arranged on campus if the employer prefers this. Occasionally, telephone interviews are a practical alternative.

Interview travel costs, if agreed, should be reimbursed to the student(s) on production of travel receipts.


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OFFERS OF EMPLOYMENT

Students selected by the employer can be contacted by mobile phone initially. A written offer should follow, and a contract of employment provided, setting out terms and conditions. In the case of unpaid or overseas placements, a placement agreement is drawn up by the Placement Officer.

Normally, the supervisor and student agree starting and finishing dates and holidays. The Placement Officer can liaise with the employer to set up a suitable work programme.

PRE-PLACEMENT BRIEFING Before going on placement the students are briefed on their responsibilities to the employer, work etiquette, ethical issues, the correct use of internet and email at work and areas such as confidentiality at work. The briefing also informs students about the reports we require from them, and how to keep in touch with the University over the placement year.

TRAINING

It is particularly useful if students can be helped to attend training courses in IT and other areas relevant to the work they are doing. Visits to other departments, if time permits, are also very useful, enabling students to see the wider context of the work.

ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR & INDUCTION

It is important that the student has an induction to the organisation in whatever form is appropriate. Aspects which have proved most useful in the past have been:

• A handover period between the existing placement student and the new one, if possible.

• An overview of the entire host organisation, explanation of departmental structure, an introduction to members of staff and an explanation of their roles and the communication channels.

• An introduction to the use of equipment, e.g. computers, copiers, scanners, books, resources, telephone system

• Expectations about punctuality, attendance and a clarification of working hours.

• Sickness and absence reporting, how to book any leave, appropriate dress and other practical issues. Disciplinary and grievance procedures should be explained. Most problems on placement arise because expectations about such ordinary aspects of day-to-day behaviour are not made explicit.

• Supervisors should, very early on, discuss with students their expectations about the work programme, set aims and objectives with the students and allow time for regular reviews.

• Supervisors should integrate the student into project or teamwork, and facilitate contacts with colleagues in related fields, providing a level of social contact.

• Often it is valuable for the supervisor (who may be the director of the project or unit) to delegate the day-to-day supervision of the student to another member of the staff, with whom they may more readily relate and who may be more available.

• It is good practice if the student and the supervisor can meet on a regular basis to discuss progress of the placement, any future plans, how the work is developing and to monitor progress.

• Students will need guidance about background reading, and information on where they can acquire the skills that will be of use in their placement work.

Students are expected to develop their own initiative and find out what is going on in the place of work, but they may need help initially in their new environment.

ROLE OF THE UNIVERSITY WHILE STUDENTS ARE ON PLACEMENT

All students are assigned a Placement Tutor and a Placements Officer with whom they should keep in regular contact. If any problems arise, both student and supervisor are urged to contact the Placement Tutor or the Placements Officer as soon as possible.

VISIT BY PLACEMENT TUTOR

The Placement Tutor (or the Placements Officer) will visit the student (if UK-based), usually between November and February. In place of a visit, students overseas will be contacted by telephone and/or e-mail.


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The visiting tutor will arrange the visit in advance with both the student and his/her supervisor to ensure sufficient time is set aside for it, normally not more than one hour. The student is expected to liaise with the visiting tutor and organise this as part of the placement experience. Students will also have been informed about the purpose and format of the visit and are encouraged to be prepared to discuss the points listed below with the tutor and the supervisor.

During the visit, the tutor will usually ask to speak to the student separately first and will then, if appropriate, also speak to the supervisor separately. That is followed by a joint meeting with both student and supervisor where progress can be discussed.

The visit is designed to help the student and placement provider to identify opportunities for learning, for doing useful work for the host institution and for the student to relate the placement to the degree course.

The visit is an important means of keeping students in touch with the University during the placement period, to inform them of any changes which may affect their final academic year and generally to offer advice and support.

The main purposes of the visit can be summarised as:

For the Student

• To enable the tutor to see how the student has settled with the host institution.

• To check that a work pattern has been established, mutually agreed by the student and supervisor

• To ensure the work programme is suitable and contains sufficient variety and responsibility.

• To discuss the development of the work programme over the remaining months

• To ensure that relationships with the supervisor and co-workers are satisfactory, and offer advice on how to resolve any difficulties if they have arisen.

• To make sure that practical matters, such as accommodation, travel, etc., are satisfactory.

• To discuss any plan the student may have formulated for their final year dissertation.

For the Placement Provider

• To establish closer links with the Department of Education

• To discuss whether the arrangement is progressing satisfactorily and is one which maximises the student’s contribution to the organisation.

• To discuss whether a satisfactory supervisory relationship with the student has been established.

• To identify any problems and discuss possible action.

• To explore the possibility of taking further placement students, either in the original department or in other areas of the institution

It is hoped that good two-way communication between student and supervisor will be established early in the placement and that there will be time for regular reviews, formal or informal, of the student’s progress. However, should any problems have arisen; the placement visit can be extremely valuable in clarifying any misunderstandings that may have occurred regarding the suitability of the student’s work programme and in general improving the communication flow between the two parties, so as to ensure that both receive maximum benefit from the placement.

ASSESSMENT OF PLACEMENT

The placement year is assessed on a pass/fail basis.

First Placement ReportA two-part form to be completed by both student and supervisor after about 10 weeks, describing the student’s work, their progress and plans for the rest of the placement. This report will form the basis of discussions during the visit.

Final ReportA 3000 word reflective portfolio to be written by the student by the end of the placement.

Employer’s Placement AppraisalA few weeks before the student finishes the placement, the Supervisor will be sent an Appraisal form. The Supervisor is asked to set aside some time to go through the appraisal form with the student and complete the form. The student will benefit from this


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process and can also add comments at the end in the student section. This is a very useful learning process for the student, and helpful for the department.

Placement Poster EventStudents are required to create a poster in PowerPoint, describing their placement experience. This is displayed to prospective placement students and academic tutors at the beginning of the final year.

In summary, to pass the placement, the student must:

• Complete 30 weeks minimum

• Submit the first and final reports on time

• Submit a placement poster

• Receive a satisfactory appraisal from the employer

PLACEMENTS ABROAD

Students may do their placements overseas, but they must already be fluent in the language used by the host organisation. Overseas placements are subject to visa requirements being met.

ACCOMMODATION

It is the student’s responsibility to find suitable accommodation. However, any help employers can provide is appreciated. If you have other students working with you, we suggest you make students aware of this so that they can arrange to link up to find shared accommodation.

INSURANCE

For the purposes of Employment Law, students, whether paid or unpaid, should be deemed ‘employees’ and be included on the Employer’s Liability Insurance Schedule. The University of Bath carries indemnity insurance which covers injury or damage to a third party caused by any negligence of placement students. A copy of the schedule is available on request. The University provides no cover in relation to the legal liability or negligence of the placement company.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Students must be provided with a safe environment in which to work. They must be informed about health and safety regulations that apply to your premises; fire exits and emergency procedures, first aid facilities, accident reporting procedures etc.

Any accident must be reported in accordance with your organisation’s procedures.

We send placement providers a Health & Safety form and letter, which must be returned within two weeks of the placement start, signed by the student and the supervisor.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES/ ANTI-HARASSMENT The University of Bath has an Equal Opportunities policy which states that ‘It is the University’s aim that students are treated fairly on the basis of merit regardless of age, disability, family responsibilities, gender, HIV status, marital status, mental health problems, nationality, race, religious or political views or affiliations, sexual orientation, socio-economic background or transsexualism’. Further details are available at:

http://www.bath.ac.uk/universitysecretary/equalities/policies/08dignityrespectpolicy.html

The University also has an Anti-Harassment code of practice. We ask that employers uphold these policies with regard to placement students.

“Sam’s all round ability has been first rate; he has performed well within an office environment and out in the field working as a community coach.Sam has been an ideal placement student and we only wished he could have stayed longer.”

Watford FC, London

NOTES

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NOTES

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THE PLACEMENTS TEAM

If you would like further clarification or any additional information, please contact:

Aste DahlWork Placements OfficerEmail: [email protected]: 00 44 1225 384099

Department of EducationUniversity of Bath1 West NorthBathBA2 7AY


“Anna has been actively in the running of the girls PE department and also assisting with the day to day running of the whole PE department. She has been a real asset to our school and will be sadly missed.”

Warminster School, Wiltshire

Department ofEducation


education employers leaflet 2011

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