For my work experience I went to a Primary School in Leonard Stanley called Leonard Stanley C of E Aided Primary School. I was situated in the reception class the whole time. I listened to the children read, I had to asses the children on how capable they were using a computer and I also had to help supervise the children when they were swimming. On the Thursday I was there all of the infants went on a school trip to Cattle Country Adventure Park for the whole day and I went with them. I really enjoyed my week and I learnt a lot about the job.

D Millington

I specialised in brand and marketing and throughout the week learned from different people from different sections of the brand and marketing department.

For most of the week, I watched employees at work and each explained their jobs to me. Some set me small tasks to do such as researching the Internet for information. One day an employee took me into a local branch of Lloyds TSB to show me the way the advertisements are set out and their purpose.

Carly Wright

Health and safety - I had to wear steel toecap boots and overalls and I was shown where the fire point was.

• Monday: serviced 2 IVECO’s and started an MOT  preparation on a trailer.
• Tuesday: continued the MOT preparation.
• Wednesday: finished the MOT preparation, went with driver down to the test station for the MOT trailer failed to fix what was wrong.
• Thursday: took the trailer for the re-test, it passed!
• Friday: serviced a transit van, I did all of this under supervision by the head mechanic.

Chris Winbow

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES Helping to repair and to service Land Rovers whilst understanding them too. The work included repairs, services, MOT’s, fitting extras and vehicle programming. During my stay, I helped fix a clutch, MOT three Defenders, fit mud flaps, radios, spotlights and tow bars. It was good but tiring!

HEALTH & SAFETY During my stay I had to learn how to stay safe from accidents and injuries. This included wearing overalls, knowing what not to touch, lifting things properly and occasionally wearing eye protection.

Nathan Preece

I serviced all types of land rovers. I enjoyed my work experience I did many different things each day, for example, on the first day I went on a test drive with the mechanic I was working with to see what was wrong with the land rover we would be working on later that day.

When we arrived back at the workshop we then fixed new parts on the vehicle, changed seat covers and attached a tow bar.

The next day I was taught how to change a cam belt and drain and fill the axles with oil. I liked this line of work and I hope to do something like this in the future.

I would highly recommend my work experience as learn not only a lot about the real world but also a lot about mechanics. I would love to do my work experience again as I enjoyed it a lot.

Daniel Wood

The main focus of Abbeywood is to order weapons such as Submarines, tanks or planes. There are hundreds of different groups. I worked in the FMG (Facilities Management Group), basically they maintained and improved the site.

To get a place at Abbeywood you need, to send a letter to inquire about a placement. You will then need to sign a form that they send you and get the school stamp. You may also need to give some of your interests so that they can match you to a suitable place.

When there you should wear smart casual. You cant wear jeans though, except for on Friday when you can wear what you like.

When there you can expect to do something similar to the following:

• Monday: Worked with the IT Co-ordinator, this including inputing data onto a computer, writing emails, answering phone calls. In the afternoon, I ordered learning course for people. Most nights I left at around 4:30 most of the workers finished at around 3:30.
• Tuesday: Worked with a PA, I photocopied. Registered sick notes, wrote emails, answered calls.
• Wednesday: I mainly ordered stationary, checked the stationary making sure that the is the correct amount in the cupboard.
• Thursday: I was with site services, this included a tour of the FMG sites. I completed some online induction courses. We also had to check the site making sure that workers there were smoking in the correct place. Next, we did a lot of filling. We had to take files down to the library basement for safe keeping.
• Friday: In the morning I was doing Business Continuity. We started off with a tour to the crisis management centre, this is a place in case an emergency happens. We also had to plan a fire drill that was to take place in a few weeks and we had to plan where the workers would assemble. Then we had to update all the groups Fire Plans. After that I spent a short afternoon in the Registry Finance. I had to check bills, add them to a spreadsheet. After this I had to type out pages for printing times.

Additional Information:

• You need to remember to collect your visitors pass every morning. This means that you can enter the site, though you aren’t allowed to go where you like, you have to be escorted everywhere.
• They advice you that you should start work at 9am and finish anytime after 3pm. My dad works at Abbeywood so I was ok for transport.
• The facilities at Abbeywood where very good. They had a restaurant in every building, plus a newsagents and a coffee cart. Other shops include a cash point, a currency changer and even a hairdressers. Though to visit any of these places you need a member of staff to escort you there.
• People at the MOD where really friendly and helpful. I was with a different person everyday.

Hester Seddon

Responsibilities: During the work experience week I was located in the ship

Missiles Systems. The jobs I had to do consisted of filing documents into the right order, making a spreadsheet for documents, writing an agenda and an invoice for a meeting and filing a database for administration. I also did a course in the interactive learning centre on equal opportunities. I got to meet the navy and find out what they do when they are of the ships how much they get paid and what they get out of it. The good thing about working in the MoD was finding out what it is like to work in an office situation and to meet other people and to find out as much as I could about the MoD and the people in it.

Dan McGuigan