Scoil Mocheallóg Policy on Work Experience
The Board of Management and Staff Scoil Mocheallóg are willing to provide opportunities of work experience for students from the wider school community. This will only be for students on Transition Year Programmes, students from Colleges of Education and students studying childcare or Special Needs Assistance (SNA) programmes. The following are the procedures under which this work experience can take place:
Students must be aged 16 before the day they commence their experience in Scoil Mocheallóg
Places will be given on a priority basis to former pupils of the school, to parents of pupils in either Scoil Mocheallóg or Colaiste Iosaef and to children of staff members.
Only one participant at a time per class will be accepted on a work experience programme. Two students per class will be facilitated on Teaching Practice.
Applications for work experience should be made in writing, well in advance of the dates being requested. Students should specify their main area of interest (eg; teaching, childcare, special needs, administration etc).
Students must be fully insured while in the school by their respective college or school; a letter to this effect should be provided to the Principal.
Students must also provide the Principal with their Garda Vetting Disclosure.
Persons who request a voluntary position in the school, for the purposes of building up work experience, must also be Garda vetted prior to commencing their placement.
This requirement applies to persons undertaking short or long term placements.
TY Students must also be vetted and should contact their TY coordinator to action this.
All vetting documents need to be shown to the Principal before commencement of placement.
The Principal and staff will endeavor to ensure that the time spent in the school by the student is beneficial and a positive learning experience.
Students must at all times be respectful of all members of staff, Board of Management, parents and pupils. They should also be willing to follow the instruction/guidance of the Principal, Deputy Principal, Secretary or whichever staff member has been designated to supervise their duties.
Students are expected to co-operate with the general rules, procedures and organizational policies of the school; their actions and language while in the school must be exemplary and of a professional nature at all times.
Their dress should be respectful of their environment.
Students are advised not to be over familiar with pupils.
Students will be provided with copies of policies which are deemed necessary and appropriate for their work within the school.
All matters pertaining to the staff, Board of Management, Parents Council, pupils or parents within the school community must be treated as confidential.
The Principal and the class teacher will outline this to all students at the beginning of placement to emphasis the importance of this.
It is not recommended that a student will be placed in a class where there is a child, sibling or relation of that student in the class.
Break/lunch times. Students on placement/ TY work experience will be expected to spend break and lunchtime in the yard with the pupils and take their breaks before 11am/12.35pm or after school break and lunchtimes. They are there in a supervisory capacity and not to take part in the games in the yard.
TY students can take their lunch break off premises and not in the staff room.
If there are a large cohort of teaching practice students in the school at one time it may be necessary to find an alternate room for lunch /break due to pressure of space in the staff room. This will be arranged for the students in advance of teaching practice and room equipped with kettle etc.
Any breaches of discipline observed among the pupils must be reported to one of the teaching staff and not dealt with by the student themselves, except in the case of student teachers who should be familiar with the school’s Code of Behaviour and should use the same form of discipline as the class teacher.
Student teacher /SNAs must also be familiar with the school’s Child Protection Policy. Documentation is given on arrival in the school in relation to this.
The pupils and staff will be expected to treat students on work experience programmes with respect at all times.
Students will only be permitted to do one placement in the school.
Policy Ratification
This Policy was ratified by the Board of Management of Scoil Mocheallóg in April 2018.
Canon William Fitzmaurice
Chairperson of Board of Management Date:April 2018