Dunhurst pupils get to work

Dunhurst pupils get to work

05/07/2011

Pupils from Bedales Junior School, Dunhurst, spent a day helping businesses across Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex as part of their annual ‘work-shadowing day’ run by the school for pupils in their last year at Dunhurst to give them a taste of what working life is like across a variety of different industry sectors.

With some pupils starting as early as five am on the farm sites, they really showed commitment to the task ahead and enjoyed the chance to try their hand at skills in the workplace, which included: discussing and designing clothes, repairing bicycles, cooking in a hospital, putting engines back in cars, sorting and stacking shelves, styling hair, herding sheep, milking cows, destroying pests, learning how beer is made, to name but a few.

Rather than choosing where they would like to go, the children were allocated a company and were told in advance so that they had enough time to prepare for the day and research everything they needed to know. The companies involved in the work-shadowing programme were all very different giving children a real taste of what it is like to work for a small family-run firm, a large PLC and the charities sector. Valuable skills were learned by pupils during the programme, such as how to communicate confidently with work colleagues, how to dress according to the work environment, team-work, initiative taking, working proactively as well as skills unique to the industry.

Organised and overseen by Dunhurst teacher Wendy Houston, the programme required significant planning and co-ordination of 40 work-sites and 53 children. Workshops to prepare them for the day were held with help from parents and other staff members.

Commenting on the day, Wendy Houston said: “As we expected, the pupils were a true credit to the school and their parents because they worked hard, had taken on board our discussions about dress and attitude in the work place and contributed positively to the work of the day in our local community.
We were all privileged to visit our pupils on site and see them in action; it was a joy to hear and watch them returning later, buzzing with tales of the day.”

Dunhurst Head Penny Watkins said, “The work-shadowing programme has an important role in developing pupils’ inquisitive thinking, enabling talents to develop through doing and making and encouraging individuality, initiative and creativity. This is an excellent experience for our pupils to work with local businesses and to foster interest beyond the School and every year I am pleased to see how much the pupils embrace this opportunity.”

Back to Latest News

© Bedales Schools   site by Wickedweb