Student Placement Policy

 Statement of intent

We recognises that qualifications and training make an important contribution to the quality of the care and education provided by early years settings. As part of our commitment to quality, we offer placements to students undertaking early years qualifications and training, including those studying for the CACHE level 2 Certificate in Pre-school Practice and CACHE level 3 Diploma in Pre-school Practice.

Aim

We aim to provide for students on placement with us experiences that contribute to the successful completion of their studies and that provide examples of quality practice in early years and education.

Method

• If necessary we require students to meet the ’suitable person’ requirements of Ofsted.

• Students will not take children to the toilet or help with undressing for PE unless they meet the ‘suitable person’ requirements of Ofsted.

• We require schools placing students under the age of 17 years with the setting to vouch for their good character.

• We supervise students under the age of 17 years at all times and do not allow them to have unsupervised access to children.

• Students who are placed in our setting on a short term basis are not counted in our staffing ratios.

• Trainee staff employed by the setting may be included in the ratios if they are deemed competent.

• We take out employers’ liability insurance and public liability insurance, which covers both trainees and voluntary helpers.

• We require students to keep to our confidentiality policy.

• Students required to keep records on individual children must obtain written consent from the child’s parents/carers.

• We co-operate with students’ tutors in order to help students to fulfil the requirements of their course of study.

• We provide students, at the first session of their placement, with a short induction on how our setting is managed, how our sessions are organised and our policies and procedures.

• We communicate a positive message to students about the value of qualifications and training.

• We make the needs of the children paramount by not admitting students in numbers that hinder the essential work of the setting.

• We ensure that trainees and students placed with us are engaged in bonafide early years training which provides the necessary background understanding of children’s development and activities or taking part in Work Experience arranged by a school.

This policy was adopted at a meeting of Larksmead Pre-school

Held on: 13^th June 2008

This policy was reviewed on