Educator FAQs
1. What ages can take part?
Our opportunities within this programme are suitable for ages 13 and 14, only students currently in Year 9 will be eligible to participate. Our wider programmatic offer will have other opportunities for other year groups.
2. How will we know if our students have places?
We will share a booking form and process with you in this presentation and via our Education team and CEC hubs after the session. Once you have completed the booking form a member of the SfS team will be in touch with confirmation.
3. Can I use these sessions whenever it suits my timetable?
Our virtual work experience placements are at set dates and times. Placements are designed to replicate the nature of remote work and are therefore fully interactive. We do not record sessions or offer on-demand content. Some elements of the project can be completed at a time that is convenient to the student or class within the placement timetable and structure.
4. Will the placements be recorded?
Our virtual work experiences are designed to replicate the nature of remote work and are therefore fully interactive. We do not record sessions or offer on-demand content. Some elements of the project can be completed at a time that is convenient to the student or class within the placement timetable and structure.
5. Can I take part in more than one opportunity?
We welcome multiple applications for both models but cannot guarantee that all will be successful as allocation of placements will take the project aims to provide opportunity to the most disadvantaged as a priority into consideration.
6. Will these be SEN suitable?
Educator FAQs
Our programmatic offer aims to be inclusive and therefore we will do our best to accommodate all students. Our staff will ask for details on how we can ensure accessibility for students as part of the booking process. For those students who require more support or differentiation we will work with educators and employers to provide more bespoke placements.
7. Will students receive certificates?
Yes! All participants will receive a certificate. We will also provide workbooks which allow students to record and reflect on their progress for future conversations.
8. How much have employers contributed to the content and design?
Our employers are always involved in the content and design of our work experience placements.
9. How will these placements link to the curriculum?
Our Speakers for Schools team have created frameworks for placements with consideration for how they will map to curriculum subjects at this key stage. We have looked at not only the topics that will be covered, but also the skills and level of ability that students will be aiming for.
10. How can I record these activities on Compass+?
Placements can be recorded as GB6 encounters.
11. Will these opportunities meet Gatsby 6?
Yes, this is a key measure of the pilot programme. Providing there is attendance for all 3 days of the placement then GB6 will be met.
12. Will the employers provide individual feedback for students?
Employers will be providing feedback throughout the placement.
Educator FAQs
13. What employers are taking part?
Employers will be shared ahead of the placement. We aim to source a broad range of employers to cover large household names to small local enterprises to provide insight into how different sized organisations work and align with an individuals own interests and preferences.
14. Do students need to have their own computers to take part?
For a model 2 placement students will need a computer with a camera and microphone.
15. Do students have to be in school to take part?
Schools are free to apply their own policies regarding attendance and safeguarding for these placements. For Model 1 placements students will need an educator to stream and facilitate the sessions. For Model 2 placements we have had students participate in small groups in a school setting taking time off timetable, as well as joining virtually from their own homes. Attendance will be reported to schools regardless of where the students are located.
16. How many students can I register for the different models?
We would like as many students as possible to have access to the opportunities whilst maintaining a number that is practical. For Model 2 we will accept a maximum of 30 students per placement, we aim to have a minimum of 5 schools taking part in each of these but there may be some flexibility and we will address this on a case by case basis with the employer and school. For Model 1 we’d recommend that for each 30 students registered there is a minimum of 1 staff member to facilitate the sessions.
17. Is there any opportunity for face to face work experience?
As part of the pilot there will be a small number of hybrid placements where there will be an opportunity to either attend the employers place of work for one of the days, or for the employer to attend your school.
Educator FAQs
18. Will an employer come into our school?
Employers may attend your school to deliver one of the days of the placement if it is a hybrid model. We will match employers and schools. If you are interested in this option please let your education relationship manager know.
19. Will the employer offer other students at the school work experience?
Some of our employers will also be offering alternative placements that other year groups will be eligible for. Full details of opportunities can be found on our website and through registration on our portal.
20. Do you have any literature to share with parents and SLT to tell them about this project?
We will provide literature and a full guide to share.
21. These opportunities are all in term time are you offering any placements during the holidays if we can’t have time off curriculum?
Placement dates are currently flexible to a degree and subject to change. We have planned dates according to expressions of interest registered with the programme early on and our employers availability.
22. Our school can’t use Google Classrooms can we use Teams or Zoom?
For safeguarding reasons, all of our placements will take place on our Google Classrooms platform. Our delivery team can support with most technical issues and we will happily provide time for your IT department and staff to test access ahead of placements to identify barriers. Most barriers, including those presented by chromebooks we have a solution for.
23. Will you provide IT for students who need it?
As a social mobility charity we will do our best to support students gain equitable access to placements. Please raise concerns at the earliest stage possible with your education relationship manager so that we can investigate all avenues of support.
Educator FAQs
24. For the hybrid model will students be going to the employer, or the employer coming to the school?
Hybrid models will be organised between matched schools and employers and be on a case by case basis.
25. If the students are going to the employer will the costs be covered?
As a social mobility charity we will do our best to support students gain equitable access to placements. Please raise concerns at the earliest stage possible with your education relationship manager so that we can investigate all avenues of support.
26. If the employer comes to the school can we include other year groups?
These opportunities are for year 9 students only. If you would like a guest speaker or employer to visit your school please reach out to your education relationship manager to enquire about our other programmatic offers.
27. The flyer I received said that years 7 and 8 could also take part, why is this only for year 9s?
Speakers for Schools are only offering placements to year 9 students due to safeguarding and data sharing policies for virtual work experience. Other partner offers may differ in eligibility criteria.
28. Will you be providing resources for the classroom and students?
Yes, we will be providing interactive and printable workbooks as well as certificates and any other digital materials required for the activities, such as template PowerPoints.
