Q. We have always welcomed 16- and 17-year-olds from the local high school to do work experience placements with us. They are normally very pleasant and good with the children, but the last two sat around chatting and gave attitude to the staff. How do other nurseries manage work placements?
Carol McDonough, manager of Childbase Partnership’s Pennypot Day Nursery in Chobham, Surrey 
‘At our nursery, anyone who applies for a work experience placement is required to attend an interview. This helps ensure we can manage everyone’s expectations – both what the student is looking for and what we require and can provide.
‘The interview isn’t all about rules and regulations. We like to make it clear to the young person on the placement that they have much to offer, for example, new ideas and ways of thinking, which could help us develop our provision and meet the needs of the next generation of families coming through our door.
‘We give everyone on a work experience placement a guide to their role, and a 13-point Code of Conduct and Expectations document. It is the same one we give to Childbase Partnership employees when they join. These cover everything from behaviour to the dress code.
‘Holding young work experience students to the same standards as employees and recognising that they can provide added value is, at the most fundamental level, the whole point of work experience placements. We also find that clearly defining everyone’s role and expectations before the work experience placement starts reduces the potential for aggravation later. It can deter those who aren’t interested in a career in early years or prepared to accept the conditions.’
Abbey Jessett, lead trainer, Kids Inc Nurseries
‘We have student co-ordinators in each of our nurseries. They receive training with our apprenticeship lead and understand how to support trainees. On the first day of a placement, the co-ordinator delivers a mini induction to students. We go through health and safety, safeguarding, and how we promote a key person approach. Everybody needs to understand why we do what we do in early years, otherwise the students may just see it as playing.
‘We pair up our students with a senior nursery nurse who has completed our lead practitioner programme. That means they are trained to manage difficult discussions with staff, for example, if students are chatting or giving attitude. They have the skills to intervene rather than escalating the problem to management.
‘We train our staff to follow seven principles from a book called Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott. One of these is to “take responsibility for your emotional wake”.
‘In your situation with the students, it’s important staff are prepared to pinpoint to them clearly why their behaviour is unacceptable, and tell them in the moment in an appropriate manner. Don’t let them get away with it. Students may not have the same responsibilities as staff, but they still have a duty of care towards children.’
Suhayla Saleh, nursery manager, Our Monkey Club, Burton on Trent
‘It is difficult to balance all the expectations we place on students – they are young and a work environment is different to school. But we approach placements by making sure boundaries and expectations are clear.
‘Before a placement begins, we chat with the student to find out what they hope to get out of it. We send them an email detailing our expectations. We tell them to be motivated, hardworking and to use their initiative. In this way we give students responsibility for their placements – their success depends upon what effort they put in.
‘The email also sets out explicit boundaries. If they behave unprofessionally, are tardy, lack motivation or willingness to work in a team, we may terminate their placement. It also details our safeguarding and health and safety polices.
‘We ask the student to respond to the email to make sure they read it. We use that email as a standard and refer back to it if any student falls short.
‘We usually pair work experience students with an established team member. We do not leave them alone just to play, or to work with another student. That practitioner trains the student. For example, we ask them to set learning outcomes for specific children, as well as do activities with them.’