Section 1: Job Description
Write an Introduction / Description of the Childcare Setting where you are completing your Work Experience.
Include details on:
- How long the organisation has been in existence – a detailed history.
- Size of the overall setting, Number of staff to include all levels of staff – Managers to Childcare Practitioner.
- Provide an Organisational Chart of Management and Staff.
- Number of Rooms, Ages of Children.
- Recognition of Aistear and Siolta.
- Write about your role as a Childcare Practitioner – include what does the position of Childcare Practitioner entail?
Section 2: Daily Diary Entries
Construct a Diary Entries for 8 of the days you are on placement in your Childcare Setting. Select any 8 days out of your total amount of days worked (150 hours’ minimum). The word count for each diary should not exceed 700 words (+/-10%). You may refer to the additional supporting Diary Template that is included with your module pack.
Ensure the 8 Days chosen are interesting and:
- Describe your immediate Setting, description of the actual Room, Room Type,
Children’s Age group, Number of Children in your care, Ratios. - Include a Routine followed Arrival Times, Involvement in implementing Activities, Feeding and Sleeping Times, provide/draw a clear timetable in each diary.
- Discuss Daily living tasks carried out e.g. Caring for a Child, Feeding a child, Changing a child.
- Highlight Communication with all Stake Holders – Children, Parents, and Staff.
- Identify Challenges / Situations which may have arisen- issues and challenges
encountered by you during your Work Experience Hours e.g. helping a child settle into the Childcare Setting, an issue could be a child in your care behaviour and a Challenge could be a Child who does not wish to eat their dinner.
Your total hours worked should accumulate to 150 hours, so this will entail more than 8 days but again choose 8 busy, varied and interesting days.
Section 3: Reflection / Evaluation
- Give details of New Learning that has occurred over your work placement.
- Did you face any Challenges on your work placement? Give details of how you faced this challenge and resolved the situation.
- Positive Experiences did you encounter as part of your work placement?
- Describe what would you do differently for a future Work Experience placement?
- Include an up to date copy of your Curriculum Vitae with a Sample Application Letter.
- Provide evidence of research for future possible Career Paths and future possible related Qualifications:
- Research Job Advertisements and provide an actual researched example of a Childcare Practitioner Advertisement.
- Research further Education courses relating to Childcare and provide examples of options available to continue studies after QQI Level 5 Course is complete.
