PE and General Teaching, Sport Coaching, Sport Development, Educational Analysis and Research, Children & Youth, Social Services, International Development

1. Guidelines for Placement Providers
Department of Education
Undergraduate 3rd Year Placements

2. “I would like to say that it has been
an absolute pleasure to have Grace
working within the department this
year on her placement, she has
been a valued member of the team
with some fantastic achievements
in her time with us. She has been a
credit to the University of Bath and
has been a fantastic role model and
Ambassador for your University.
This placement has been extremely
rewarding for both Filton College
and Grace.”
Filton College, Bristol
www.bath.ac.uk/education

3. Guidelines for Placement Providers
THE DEGREE PROGRAMME
BA (Hons) Coach Education and Sports
Coach Education and Sports Development
Development The degree provides an innovative, interdisciplinary
and critical social science approach to understanding
BA (Hons) Childhood, Youth and sport and physical activity, healthy lifestyles, coaching,
teaching, sport policy, management and development.
Education Studies The students discover a breadth of academic work on
sport, exercise and physical activity all underpinned by
a strong emphasis on research. The degree draws on a
wide range of subjects including the sociology of sport
INTRODUCTION and physical activity, pedagogy (teaching, coaching
and learning), the psychology of sport and exercise,
The Department of Education is a thriving academic and policy, management and development. Students
community with a strong national and international graduating from this degree are often employed in
reputation for research. We offer a variety of taught Sports management, policy and marketing positions, as
programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate physical educators, as sports development officers and
level. Undergraduate provision currently comprises the coaches, or go on to further study.
BA (Hons) in Coach Education and Sports Development
which capitalises upon the University of Bath’s status Childhood, Youth and Education Studies
as the English Institute of Sport for the South West, its This degree is a social science degree that bridges the
excellent sports facilities and the elite squad of athletes disciplines of education, psychology and sociology. It
and coaches which comprise Team Bath. The BA explores how young children and adolescents learn
(Hons) in Childhood, Youth and Education Studies was and develop in contemporary British society and across
introduced to the Department in 2009. The Department the world, and emphasizes relevant policy issues. It is
prides itself upon the quality of its teaching and provision pioneering in that it was developed in conjunction with
for students. Department of Psychology. The programme prepares
the students for a variety of careers relating to children,
In addition, University of Bath is The Sunday Times youth and family, including social services, non-
University of the Year and ranked 5th nationwide in their governmental organisations and teaching, or they go on
league table for 2011/12. to further study.
About two thirds of our students take up the opportunity
to do a four-year sandwich degree course, which SKILLS THAT A STUDENT CAN OFFER
includes a one-year placement. Students spend their
third year working in a public or private company or • All students will have completed two years of their
organisation. degree, during which time they will have gained
a solid grounding in social research methods and
These guidelines are not intended to be definitive, but theoretical concepts and knowledge
incorporate ideas and feedback gained from placement
providers and students as to what constitutes a
successful placement. We hope this information will be • They are able to demonstrate initiative, to assimilate
useful, especially if you have not employed a placement information quickly and to take on an increasing
student before. degree of responsibility
• They are effective communicators with good
In some cases the placement may be the first real job a analytical skills, and are well accustomed to working
student has undertaken; he or she may not have been in teams
part of a formal organisation before. The guidelines laid
out here represent good employment practices and as • They will have undertaken oral, visual and written
such will already be followed by you. presentation of research topics
• They will have been exposed to and developed both
qualitative and quantitative research skills
• They will have developed the capacity to work
effectively with children and young people.
The Department of Education is part of the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences 1

4. Guidelines for Placement Providers
STUDENT PLACEMENT OBJECTIVES RECENT PLACEMENT PROVIDERS
These can be divided into five main areas: Coach Education and Sports Development
LOCOG
1. To gain practical experience in the application British Olympic Association
and usefulness of knowledge gained at university.
Populous
2. To develop personal and transferable skills such as: Watford FC
Event 360
• Communication – speaking/writing/listening
London Irish
• Planning and time management
Octagon
• Problem solving and analytical skills Athletics New Zealand
• Decision making Warminster School
• Working as part of a team or responding to Rostrevor College, Australia
leadership Middlewich High School
• Initiative and creativity Brighton College
Victoria University, Australia
3. The further development of business skills such as: Into the Blue
• Using computer packages and databases (including Filton Sports College
in-house systems) to analyse and interpret data. Upper Hutt City Council, New Zealand
Creation of graphs, charts and similar methods of
Clayesmore School
displaying data, possibly web site creation, desktop
publishing etc I Love Tour
Progressive Tennis, New Zealand
• Undertaking research
BANES
• Writing reports in a professional manner
Merton School Sport Partnership
• Making business presentations City Academy Bristol
• Undertaking business correspondence
• Project management
Childhood, Youth and Education
• Attending team meetings, seminars etc, and listening,
Community Outreach Programme Trust, South Africa
• evaluating and contributing where appropriate
City Year
4. Learning as much as possible about the profession BANES
in which they are working. Rossmore Leisure Centre
The Lights Project
5. A dissertation is a required component of the Platform 51
student’s final year of study. Some students may The Kindergartens
wish to base their dissertation on an aspect of
International Grammar School, Australia
their placement. It is much appreciated if they can
be assisted with this where possible.
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5. Guidelines for Placement Providers
WORK CONTENT OF PLACEMENT THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
The work programme devised for students should Students start to seek their placement at the beginning
give them the opportunity to learn and develop, and to of their second year. The Placements Officer has
assume an appropriate degree of responsibility, so that an initial briefing meeting with the whole group and
they can maximise their contribution to the organisation. individual meetings with each student. The student
discusses the type of placement for which he/she would
A significant amount of the work should be relevant to like to be considered and any general location choices/
the student’s degree programme, although it is accepted requirements.
that most placements will also involve some more
routine work.
JOB DESCRIPTION
In past placements, students have conducted research,
presented findings in the appropriate form, given talks, Placement providers are required to supply a brief (single
organised events and meetings, taken notes, set up page) job description and web links. It should list the
and administered databases, participated in the creative main duties and also the skills or attributes required.
process, taken responsibility for projects and generally It might also describe the company/organisation
alleviated the workload where needed. and its function. It will be displayed on the University
placements website.
TIMING OF PLACEMENT Students apply for those placements in which they are
interested under the guidance of the Placements Officer.
Students start to apply for placements during October,
with a view to starting work during the following summer
(between July and October). The minimum duration for MAKING APPLICATIONS
a placement is 30 weeks, but most students complete
a whole year. The time can be split between two There are two main methods of application:
departments or two different organisations. The student • Sending a CV and covering letter to the employer by
is expected to work a conventional working week of at email. The Placement Officer can collect and email all
least 30 hours. applications in one batch, if preferred.
• Applying online through the employer’s website
FINANCE IN THE PLACEMENT YEAR
Students are currently required to pay a tuition fee of INTERVIEWS
£675 for the placement year. This will change to £2,500
for students starting degrees in 2012. They are eligible Interviews are usually conducted at the company
to receive a proportion of the student loan. premises as this gives the students a chance to see the
workplace, although they can be arranged on campus
if the employer prefers this. Occasionally, telephone
REMUNERATION interviews are a practical alternative.
Some employers pay the student a salary Interview travel costs, if agreed, should be reimbursed to
commensurate with age and experience. In the business the student(s) on production of travel receipts.
and teaching sectors, the salaries currently range from
£4000 – £16,500 per annum.
In the charity/NGO sector, students sometimes
undertake unpaid placements, but we ask that in such
cases an allowance may be provided to cover their daily
travel and subsistence costs.
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6. Guidelines for Placement Providers
OFFERS OF EMPLOYMENT • Expectations about punctuality, attendance and a
clarification of working hours.
Students selected by the employer can be contacted • Sickness and absence reporting, how to book any
by mobile phone initially. A written offer should follow, leave, appropriate dress and other practical issues.
and a contract of employment provided, setting out Disciplinary and grievance procedures should be
terms and conditions. In the case of unpaid or overseas explained. Most problems on placement arise
placements, a placement agreement is drawn up by the because expectations about such ordinary aspects
Placement Officer. of day-to-day behaviour are not made explicit.
Normally, the supervisor and student agree starting and • Supervisors should, very early on, discuss with
finishing dates and holidays. The Placement Officer students their expectations about the work
can liaise with the employer to set up a suitable work programme, set aims and objectives with the
programme. students and allow time for regular reviews.
• Supervisors should integrate the student into project
or teamwork, and facilitate contacts with colleagues
PRE-PLACEMENT BRIEFING in related fields, providing a level of social contact.
Before going on placement the students are briefed on • Often it is valuable for the supervisor (who may be
their responsibilities to the employer, work etiquette, the director of the project or unit) to delegate the
ethical issues, the correct use of internet and email at day-to-day supervision of the student to another
work and areas such as confidentiality at work. The member of the staff, with whom they may more
briefing also informs students about the reports we readily relate and who may be more available.
require from them, and how to keep in touch with the
University over the placement year. • It is good practice if the student and the supervisor
can meet on a regular basis to discuss progress
of the placement, any future plans, how the work is
developing and to monitor progress.
TRAINING
• Students will need guidance about background
It is particularly useful if students can be helped to reading, and information on where they can acquire
attend training courses in IT and other areas relevant to the skills that will be of use in their placement work.
the work they are doing. Visits to other departments, if
time permits, are also very useful, enabling students to Students are expected to develop their own initiative
see the wider context of the work. and find out what is going on in the place of work, but
they may need help initially in their new environment.
ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR & INDUCTION
ROLE OF THE UNIVERSITY WHILE STUDENTS
It is important that the student has an induction to the ARE ON PLACEMENT
organisation in whatever form is appropriate. Aspects
which have proved most useful in the past have been: All students are assigned a Placement Tutor and a
Placements Officer with whom they should keep in
• A handover period between the existing placement regular contact. If any problems arise, both student and
student and the new one, if possible. supervisor are urged to contact the Placement Tutor or
the Placements Officer as soon as possible.
• An overview of the entire host organisation,
explanation of departmental structure, an introduction
to members of staff and an explanation of their roles VISIT BY PLACEMENT TUTOR
and the communication channels.
• An introduction to the use of equipment, e.g. The Placement Tutor (or the Placements Officer) will visit
computers, copiers, scanners, books, resources, the student (if UK-based), usually between November
telephone system and February. In place of a visit, students overseas will
be contacted by telephone and/or e-mail.
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7. Guidelines for Placement Providers
The visiting tutor will arrange the visit in advance with For the Placement Provider
both the student and his/her supervisor to ensure
sufficient time is set aside for it, normally not more than • To establish closer links with the Department
one hour. The student is expected to liaise with the of Education
visiting tutor and organise this as part of the placement
experience. Students will also have been informed about • To discuss whether the arrangement is progressing
the purpose and format of the visit and are encouraged satisfactorily and is one which maximises the
to be prepared to discuss the points listed below with student’s contribution to the organisation.
the tutor and the supervisor. • To discuss whether a satisfactory supervisory
relationship with the student has been established.
During the visit, the tutor will usually ask to speak to the • To identify any problems and discuss possible action.
student separately first and will then, if appropriate, also
speak to the supervisor separately. That is followed by • To explore the possibility of taking further placement
a joint meeting with both student and supervisor where students, either in the original department or in other
progress can be discussed. areas of the institution
The visit is designed to help the student and placement It is hoped that good two-way communication between
provider to identify opportunities for learning, for doing student and supervisor will be established early in the
useful work for the host institution and for the student to placement and that there will be time for regular reviews,
relate the placement to the degree course. formal or informal, of the student’s progress. However,
should any problems have arisen; the placement
The visit is an important means of keeping students in visit can be extremely valuable in clarifying any
touch with the University during the placement period, misunderstandings that may have occurred regarding
to inform them of any changes which may affect their the suitability of the student’s work programme and in
final academic year and generally to offer advice and general improving the communication flow between the
support. two parties, so as to ensure that both receive maximum
benefit from the placement.
The main purposes of the visit can be summarised as:
ASSESSMENT OF PLACEMENT
For the Student
The placement year is assessed on a pass/
• To enable the tutor to see how the student has
fail basis.
settled with the host institution.
• To check that a work pattern has been established, First Placement Report
mutually agreed by the student and supervisor
A two-part form to be completed by both student
• To ensure the work programme is suitable and and supervisor after about 10 weeks, describing the
contains sufficient variety and responsibility. student’s work, their progress and plans for the rest
• To discuss the development of the work programme of the placement. This report will form the basis of
over the remaining months discussions during the visit.
• To ensure that relationships with the supervisor and
co-workers are satisfactory, and offer advice on how Final Report
to resolve any difficulties if they have arisen. A 3000 word reflective portfolio to be written by the
student by the end of the placement.
• To make sure that practical matters, such as
accommodation, travel, etc., are satisfactory.
Employer’s Placement Appraisal
• To discuss any plan the student may have formulated A few weeks before the student finishes the placement,
for their final year dissertation. the Supervisor will be sent an Appraisal form. The
Supervisor is asked to set aside some time to go
through the appraisal form with the student and
complete the form. The student will benefit from this
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8. Guidelines for Placement Providers
process and can also add comments at the end in the HEALTH & SAFETY
student section. This is a very useful learning process for
the student, and helpful for the department. Students must be provided with a safe environment in
which to work. They must be informed about health and
safety regulations that apply to your premises; fire exits
Placement Poster Event and emergency procedures, first aid facilities, accident
Students are required to create a poster in PowerPoint, reporting procedures etc.
describing their placement experience. This is displayed
to prospective placement students and academic tutors Any accident must be reported in accordance with your
at the beginning of the final year. organisation’s procedures.
In summary, to pass the placement, the student must: We send placement providers a Health & Safety form
• Complete 30 weeks minimum and letter, which must be returned within two weeks
of the placement start, signed by the student and the
• Submit the first and final reports on time supervisor.
• Submit a placement poster
• Receive a satisfactory appraisal from the employer
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES/ ANTI-HARASSMENT
PLACEMENTS ABROAD The University of Bath has an Equal Opportunities policy
which states that ‘It is the University’s aim that students
Students may do their placements overseas, but they are treated fairly on the basis of merit regardless
must already be fluent in the language used by the host of age, disability, family responsibilities, gender,
organisation. Overseas placements are subject to visa HIV status, marital status, mental health problems,
requirements being met. nationality, race, religious or political views or affiliations,
sexual orientation, socio-economic background or
transsexualism’. Further details are available at:
ACCOMMODATION
http://www.bath.ac.uk/universitysecretary/equalities/
It is the student’s responsibility to find suitable policies/08dignityrespectpolicy.html
accommodation. However, any help employers can
provide is appreciated. If you have other students The University also has an Anti-Harassment code of
working with you, we suggest you make students aware practice. We ask that employers uphold these policies
of this so that they can arrange to link up to find shared with regard to placement students.
accommodation.
INSURANCE
“Sam’s all round ability has been first
For the purposes of Employment Law, students, whether rate; he has performed well within an
paid or unpaid, should be deemed ‘employees’ and be office environment and out in the field
included on the Employer’s Liability Insurance Schedule.
The University of Bath carries indemnity insurance working as a community coach.
which covers injury or damage to a third party caused Sam has been an ideal placement
by any negligence of placement students. A copy of the student and we only wished he could
schedule is available on request. The University provides
no cover in relation to the legal liability or negligence of have stayed longer.”
the placement company.
Watford FC, London
6

9. NOTES
7

10. NOTES
8

11. THE PLACEMENTS TEAM
If you would like further clarification or any additional
information, please contact:
Aste Dahl
Work Placements Officer
Email: A.Dahl@bath.ac.uk
Tel: 00 44 1225 384099
Department of Education
University of Bath
1 West North
Bath
BA2 7AY
www.bath.ac.uk/education
“Anna has been actively in the running
of the girls PE department and also
assisting with the day to day running
of the whole PE department. She has
been a real asset to our school and will
be sadly missed.”
Warminster School, Wiltshire
www.bath.ac.uk/education

12. Department of
Education
www.bath.ac.uk/education