Welcome to my Working World

Hello, it's so nice to see you. Do come in, and please excuse the mess. Did you pick up your security pass at reception? Good. So here we are then, ready to discuss the events of my day.
I work part time at a fairly large secondary school in Hertfordshire. About 1200 students at the last count. I work part of my day in the exams office, which is a busy place at the best of times but with Year 11 mock GCSEs starting next week and entries for January modules taking place it's manic.
So let's sit here in the main office where I work for the other hours of my working day, it's quieter in here, but no less busy. Oh, and can I introduce you to my colleague Dany, who is in overall charge of Work Experience but we work very much as a partnership in the months leading up to it. Our girls have just finished their week out in the world of business and we're starting the feedback part of the job.
I want to share something that may seem insignificant to the rest of the world but something that gave us a warm glow this morning and a feeling of 'job well done' all day.
Work experience can be challenging. Some girls know exactly what they want to do and are keen and enthusiastic and it is straightforward to find somewhere for them. It's been tough this year with the credit crunch, businesses don't have the extra staff or time to give up a week to show a 15 year old what they do all day, and quite frankly a lot of places locally haven't survived the recession. Some girls want the impossible, one girl wanted to work at a space station - well, we do have Science College Status so I guess we will always have someone hoping to aim high!
Bearing in mind I had 156 girls to try and find places for, and it's done on first come first served basis, by the time I am down to the last 10, inspiration is seriously lacking. My 156th girl was someone who is not academically inclined, prone to trying to avoid lessons and generally not taking much interest in anything. People told us to not bother taking too much time finding anything as she probably wouldn't turn up anyway.
But something in that comment made Dany and I determined to find something that would hold her interest. I am a firm believer that the 'problem' children are sometimes only a problem as they are bored and don't have any interest in the normal subjects. It is a matter of finding something to grab their imagination and keeping them absorbed. I also feel that everyone needs to feel that their opinion is important, to listen to them and show an interest.
By a convoluted sequence of events and a passing comment when she came to discuss work experience with us, we managed to secure a placement for her at an RAF base in Suffolk, based about 15 mins from where her grandparents lived. It was agreed she could live with them for the week and they would get her there. She absolutely loved it. She went every day, threw herself into whatever they asked of her, is absolutely set on joining the RAF on leaving school. The RAF sent in a glowing report about her, she was a joy to have there and she fitted in from Day 1. She's going back in a couple of weekends time to help out with a display and she has returned to school a more confident, enthusiastic person.
Sometimes you have to accept that a square peg will not fit in the traditional round hole and find the right shaped home for them. We honestly feel that a few extra hours finding something out of the ordinary for her might just have turned her life around.
Gosh, is that the time? The going home bell will be going any minute, thanks for popping in. See you again sometime I hope!