S3 business placements
Introduction
Firrhill High School is a comprehensive secondary school located in the south west of Edinburgh. The school currently has 1130 pupils and 80 staff. The key to Firrhill High School's Enterprise in Education strategy is a partnership with over 30 local businesses. These strong links are an essential element in the development of enterprise in education, which places emphasis on both the world of work and career education.
The initiative
The S3 Business Placements initiative, which began in May 1999, involves all S3 pupils and aims to allow them 'an experience of work' as opposed to work experience.
Pupils are split into small groups of eight to ten and each group, accompanied by a teacher, works in a local business on an agreed project for two days. The pupils work collaboratively with their business partners, who offer them guidance and support in the completion of the project. On day three the pupils, still working in their groups and with the support of their business partners, come back in to school to prepare and deliver a presentation on their experiences.