Work Experience with Cambridgeshire Music

There are opportunities for work experience with the music and teaching staff as well as in the administrative Cambridgeshire Music office at Papworth.

Further and Higher Education Students

Students over 16 years old who are seeking a work placement, as part of their course, should be checked by their education/training organisation when accepted on to the course.

To set up such a placement the following process should be used:

1. The training/education organisation should write to the Head of Service at Cambridgeshire Music (CM) to request a work placement with details of the student (Name, Address and Date of Birth) and appropriate training references, stating when, where and for how long the placement will take place.
2. CM will respond with a standard request for a CRB check via Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC).
3. The training organisation will complete the request and ensure their response is sent to HR-recruitment.
4. Once go ahead is received from CCC’s Recruitment section, CM will ask the relevant senior manager to organise with appropriate CM staff the start of the placement, liaising with the training organisation and ensuring that all schools involved are happy to have the placement on their site.

This process can be undertaken quite quickly but managers should allow three weeks as a guide.

Work placements for adults with an interest in learning about a career in music teaching will require a full volunteer’s CRB check

School Students

School work experience schemes (run through Connexions) provide opportunities for students to gain experience of the workplace environment.

There are two ways in which students can work with peripatetic staff from CM:

1. CM staff are often working on several days in particular schools. The office can provide a guide as to schools that might be prepared to have a work experience student in a single school working alongside peripatetic music staff. In this situation the student should apply to the school concerned requesting the opportunity to work alongside music service staff.
The school should formally write or email to confirm that this will be going ahead to CIMA and liaise with Connexions as necessary.

2. CM can design a timetable for a student who is able to travel to a variety of locations. Teachers themselves cannot transport students so they must have their own travel arrangements in place for the whole of the timetable. The timetable will include experience of the administrative side of the service as well.

In this situation the student should formally write to CM requesting a work placement. This will then be handled by the relevant area manager liaising with Connexions and the office as required. Schools, CM and teachers should be approached to confirm their agreement to have student placements in their music lessons prior to the placement being confirmed.

Placements for students aged 16 and under are not subject to the need for a CRB check.

Placements for students aged 16 and over may be subject to a CRB check if working predominantly with under 16s. The Name, Address and Date of Birth of the student should be sent to the CM Office who will put in process the CRB check if required as a volunteer. This process will normally take six weeks so ample planning time should be allowed.

Placements for administrative work placements can be organised directly with the Business Support Manager. Such placements cannot involve access to student personal data. Contact Charanjit Panesar on 01480 373555.