Personal Profile - David - Withywood Community School

David is a year 10 student who has benefited from our disapplied curriculum. He is now placed 1 day a week on an extended work experience programme with a local flooring contractor.

Three years ago he had had two governors' disciplinary panel interviews and was first in line for a permanent exclusion from the school. He was a boy with an awful temper, a reading age of 6 plus, little confidence and a long-standing severe dislike of school, peers and authority.

As a year 9 pupil he was inducted into a practical course which involved contact with year 10 students who had worked with a local Special School. He spent Tuesday mornings at Florence Brown School with 2 other Year 9 boys and a group of Year 10 students.

He worked with the staff and students at the school and in year 10 repeated the process back at school hosting visits every week for Florence Brown. Working with concrete, planting and painting, organising and co-operating were key elements. Being part of a team and getting on with unfamiliar people were essential elements to David's confidence building.

By the Spring of 2002 (now year 10 for David) the opportunity to place him with a local employer presented itself and David now spends each Monday with a flooring contractor employing 20 people. He cycles the three miles to work and has yet to miss a day, arriving early more often than not.

Whilst he is clearly not allowed to use many of the fitting tools, he has proved adaptable, reliable and always enthusiastic. School has approved the placement in the usual manner…vetting with the Careers Service, Parental Consent and all Heath and Safety considerations complied with. When he is 16 the employers' insurance will cover him for some of the more dangerous tasks, principally with the use of cutting tools.

He has continued to benefit from the support our disapplied curriculum offers whilst back in school and his performance on a day to day basis has been consistently positive. This will continue into Year 11.

For David's final year at school we see no reason why he should not complete 2 days a week with his current employer. He has already been in discussion with the owner who has indicated that an apprenticeship may be offered for him when he leaves school. Having been given the opportunity to develop these work-based skills, David has shone both in the work placement and also back in school:

Attendance is 97%
There have only been 3 recorded temper incidents, all quickly resolved
He has been willing to take a breath when confronted with other peoples' anger, taunting and antagonism
He is less easily wound up
He has made good progress in English, Science and Humanities
He seems to have a number of friends who he now spends time with both in and out of school
He is clearly much more confident, happy and communicative

The challenge for Withywood is to repeat the success of this process - ie induction, work-related experiences and a local work placement - for the other students. This has begun and there will be placements for 16 of David's Y11 peers starting in September 2002. The work required to establish, manage and monitor this kind of enterprise is immense. At Withywood we are fortunate that our SENCO is both able to make the time and is a committed supporter of this initiative.

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