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Work Experience

At Three Ways School we take a personalised approach to work experience. Within the Key Stage 4 department and the Sixth Form we explore a wide range of internal and external placements. Many of our pupils build their confidence working with our school Site Manager, supporting Primary classes and exploring local work experience by taking part in supported work place visits. Work experience has proven to be a great addition to the growth of the pupil’s self-esteem, confidence and maturity.

As a school we feel it is essential to give the pupils the best opportunities to succeed in employment or voluntary work when they leave Three Ways. In a work environment pupils are involved in a different set of skills and challenges and build a range of practical and communication strategies.

We have had many successful placements in and around Bath thanks to the continued support of local employers such as Curo, St Martins Garden Primary School, BANES parks department, Bath Opportunity Pre-School , Tom Baker Cricket and Bath Rugby.

We are always looking to broaden the range of employment experiences we can offer our pupils. If you are interested in supporting work experience at Three Ways, or visiting the school to talk about your profession, please contact the school.

Internal Placements

Many of our pupils start their Work Experience journey by completing placements within the school building. This really helps to build their confidence before they move onto an external placement.

We provide internal placements within the School Kitchen, working alongside the Site Manager undertaking maintenance around the building, in the School Office and placements in the Primary Department Classes.

The pupils are asked to behave like a member of staff at all times during these placements and the expectation is always high. This learning journey is important for some of our pupils as they gain in confidence and head towards a successful External Placement.

Kitchen manager: “We love having the pupils for Work Experience. They work hard and it is really nice to see how they grow and mature over the time”

Pupil: “I really liked it in Primary Class and I think I am ready to go outside school for my next placement”

These internal placements have been incredibly helpful for our pupils as they move at their own pace gaining in skills and confidence in order to complete their work experience journey.

Internal Placements image
External Placements image

External Placements

Work Experience at Three Ways has been ongoing for many years and we have completed many incredibly successful placements.

Some of the pupils find their own placements and the Work Experience Co-ordinator supports the placements of others.

We have ongoing connections with employers in and around Bath.

External placements increase pupil’s confidence, self-esteem and improve their communication skills. School can be a comfortable environment where all staff know the pupils well, however, out in the workplace they have to learn how to build those relationships from scratch and also how to maintain those relationships.

Independent travel can also be a learning objective for some of our pupils. Pupils begin to develop this in school during Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5. We are committed to the pupil’s progress in all areas of development and are very proud of how much success they have had in this area.

Site Manager at St Martins Garden Primary School:

“We have had pupils from Three Ways on Work Experience placements for a few years now and all of them have worked out very well. It has been a pleasure having them here.”

Parent: “My son really matured when he did his Work Experience, he had to get himself there and back home by bike.”

3 Cafe & Kitchen

The dream of having an on-site work skills centre at Three Ways Special School has become a reality. Three Ways School spent nearly eight years planning and fundraising to build and equip the Café before it could open to the public. We had wonderful support from local and national trust and grant makers, businesses and individuals to raise over £500,000 to get the centre open.

The aim of the centre is to develop employability skills for young people with a range of disabilities and give real-life experience in a café and shop which is open to the public. Over the next year we hope to have young people completing work placements and qualifications in the centre. We are developing links with local employers and training providers in order to ensure that the young people have options when they leave school.

The Centre will enable all students using the facilities to gain vital work skills including communication, customer service experience, money handling skills, time management and working as part of a team. We hope that these key work skills to lead to paid employment and further training opportunities. We want to give the students the same chances to join the world of work as any other school leaver. We believe they should have the satisfaction of contributing to the economy and supporting themselves as working adults.

We have worked closely with local environmental health to create a bespoke basic food hygiene course and all the young people are able to gain this qualification.

3 Café Kitchen provides a direct solution to National Reports and research showing that young people with Special Needs and Disabilities are hugely disadvantaged by their lack of qualifications and access to employment. This new facility will provide improved transition to education and work, and help us to further ensure that we are preparing the young people for open or supported employment and giving options for the future.

Jo Stoaling, Deputy Head says ‘We want all students to be able to support themselves and to live as independently as possible. We want to provide the support and guidance for young people with special needs to gain qualifications and experience to go on to college or to a supported work employment. Our young people are keen to be an important, reliable part of our local work force.’

Emily Danquah a Parent at Three Ways School says ‘The opportunities our children are going to have through the centre are amazing. To get recognised catering and customer service qualifications and the experience of working in a café and shop will be wonderful. This will help our children to become one step closer to supporting themselves and being as independent as possible.’

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A day in the Cafe