23rd June Monday

• Firstly I arrived at ten o’clock and the manager gave me a little talk on health and safety and showed me around the place, introduced me to people etc. He then set me a few simple tasks e.g. polishing and rapping cutlery and helping the chef with food prep. Then when it got busy I was taking orders and laying tables and being a waitress for a few hours. When every body had gone I was helping the chef clear up.

24th June Tuesday

• The next day I arrived at the same time as the day before and did most of what I did on my first day but instead of just helping the chef I helped the bar staff collect ice and make the bar look nice and then when it got busy at dinner time I did waitressing again and took orders.

25th June Wednesday

• On Wednesday I arrived at half ten because the manager was finding the last few days I was coming in so early I had nothing to do for an hour. Instead of waitressing I stayed in the kitchen with the chef and they got me used to handling food and making dishes and cooking things. Then after I did that it was time to clear up.

26th June Thursday

• On Thursday I did a bit of everything I helped in the kitchen, waitressing, helping bar staff and help clear up.

27th June Friday

• On Friday I did a lot of waitressing because it was one of there busiest days and there was also a lot of clearing up to be done I had to sweep and then mop the floors and put everything through the dishwasher etc. I went home at about three o clock that day because I had to do so much it took so long. Before I went they gave me a £10 and offered me a job and I am now working there once or twice a week (Fridays or Saturdays)

I really enjoyed my work experience that week, and am glad I'm going back to help, they were really nice people.

Katrina McNally - 2003

Responsibilities: Teaching pupils from a wide variety of years, including years 2, 5 and 6. The subjects I taught them in included maths, English, guided reading and a lot of work on the computers as I am more skilled than most people in this subject. The groups I took were sized around 5-15 pupils at a time, except for reading. I also help to maintain the computers at the school. The younger pupils were definitely harder to teach, as they required more guidance. However, the older pupils mostly got on with work themselves and required little guidance.

Health and Safety: There were few risks at the workplace, except for trivial matters such as falling of your chair.

Robert South - 2003

I got a work experience placement at Wickwar Out of School Club. It was as expected as I went there a few years ago. It was quite boring but is probably because I am not interested in doing this when I am older. I enjoyed playing with the children and the hours were good.

D Moore

When I arrived, I was taken into the security office and given a security pass so that I could open all the doors that would need a pass to be opened. Danny Tainton, the head keeper, was already in the security office when I got there, so I was introduced to him, and then he took me across to the Wildwalk, and introduced me to the other keepers who worked in the Wildwalk area.

While I was there, I had to do things like feeding and looking after animals like: birds, butterflies, mice, snails, centipedes, tarantulas, spiders, stick insects, praying mantises, fish, geckos, poison arrow frogs, scorpions, snakes, chameleons, leaf cutter ants, and cockroaches.

Day 1

• I arrived at 9:00 even though I wasn’t supposed to be there until 9:30, but because I went on the bus, I couldn’t help being there early. Then, the security guard took me to the security office where I met Danny and was given a pass. After I’d got the pass Danny drove me round to the building in his car, and showed me how to open the doors with the passes on the way up to the Wildwalk office place. Before I did anything else I had to read some sheets on health and safety, and then I was able to go and wander around with Louisa Sullivan, who looks after work experience people. Lou showed me around and we spent the day looking after animals and stuff. At 16:50 I went to give my pass back to the security office, and then I was allowed to go and find where I was supposed to catch the bus, because it was the only bus that would be able to get me home, and if I missed it I would be stuck in Bristol.

Day 2

• Tuesday was pretty much the same as Monday, except for that I went straight over to the security office, got my pass, and then went straight to the Wildwalk. I worked with Lou again for the day, and my day consisted of doing mostly the same things as on Monday.

Day 3

• Wednesday was the same as Tuesday, except for that I was working with Marie Orchard, because Lou had the rest of the week off. I followed Mo around for the day, and did what I’d been doing before.

Day 4

• Mo wasn’t working as a keeper on Thursday, so I was working with Jo on Thursday, doing the same kind of thing as I’d been doing for the rest of the week.

Day 5

• When I got in on Friday, the security guards yelled at me, because they said that I’d lost a pass, when actually I hadn’t. So after spending 10 minutes being yelled at by them first thing, I wandered over to the Wildwalk. Then, after a few minutes of being there, security called to apologise for being so mean to me because they found the pass again, so it was their fault that it got lost in the first place, even though they blamed me. Danny was the only keeper in on Friday, so I followed him round doing stuff, except for when the people on the science trip turned up, because then I ran off to see Emily quickly, because I hadn’t seen her in weeks, but I went back to see Danny again after a bit.

Overall I really enjoyed working at @Bristol for the week, because it was really fun, and the people were really nice, and it was really cool being able to get out of school and do something actually worthwhile and interesting for the week.

Georgina Delaney

Responsibilities & Duties - Entertaining young children by: reading them stories, playing with toys with them, talking to them, supervising playtime. Also talking to parents and keeping certain areas tidy. Before the children and the babies went out to play we had to make sure they all had sun cream on if it was warm or coats on if it was cold. I also had to make sure that if the children went outside or were painting or anything they would wash their hands when they had finished before they had their snack or their lunch.

Health & Safety issues, special clothing - I had to wear a white top and black trousers with my trainers. We always had to make sure every child was there by counting them whenever they came in from playing outside in the play area.

I enjoyed my week at the Nursery and know that I want to work with children. The staff at the Nursery were all really nice and so were the children.

Natasha Woodman

During this experience I learnt many things though the 2 weeks. I manly did services and repairs and a couple of mot’s. In the repairs I changed starter motors, indicator bulbs and headlights.

I changed tyres and wheels using the ramp. I also changed discs and pads and fitted exhausts and clamps.

I had to rear overalls and steel toe caps. I should have worn barrier cream to protect my hands from oil.

Robert Jenkins

Responsibilities: Going to houses and clearing up after house fires and floods.

Health and Safety: I had to wear: Goggles, Boots, Hat, Coat, Gloves, Protective mask.

• Day 1: Went to Clifton all day for a big job. A mans basement had caught fire and we had to spray all the walls and clean it all up.
• Day 2: Back in Clifton again.

Greg White