Placement opportunities

The Education BA at the University of Brighton offers diverse placement opportunities in the UK and overseas. In year one you will spend ten days on placement and in year two, eight weeks. Where some of our students have spent their time:

Get Involved with the African Street Children Organisation (GI ASCO)

GI ASCO is a charity that supports homeless children in Jinja, Uganda by providing accommodation and enabling them to attend school.

Natalia spent her placement with GI ASCO and said: “The experience for me was amazing and something I will remember for the rest of my life. It has helped to cement in my mind what I want to pursue after I have finished the degree programme. I want to go on and work with children with special needs and it has also opened up how rewarding volunteering can be and how it can help open more opportunities for later work. Although at some times it was hard, the things we saw were very different from at home, I feel I took a lot from experiencing a different culture and having the understanding of how different we all really are.”

Another student Steph said of her time in Uganda: “For me this experience made me aware of how different lives are in other countries, from the first day we arrived. The experience over all was extraordinary, and has had a great impact on my life since I have returned. It is definitely an experience I will never forget and has changed my values and beliefs which will influence me for the rest of my life.”

Primary School placement

Donna said of her placement: “My placement last year was in a Primary School in Woodingdean. I engaged in school life for a period of about 7-8 weeks which gave me valuable experience of how a school runs on a daily basis. I worked very closely with the Senco who has now become a good friend. She was very supportive in my application for a PGCE, which is my next path. The networking that I conducted during placement has put me in touch with lots of education professionals, and I know that in the future this will be beneficial to me. ”

“During the placement period I became aware of the importance of reflection. Having times to reflect on what I was doing and what I hoped to achieve was pivotal to my learning because I was able to really pin point what I wanted my next step to be. I also observed many teachers in their classrooms and was able to draw on their skills and attributes to help me with my future career as a teacher. ”

asphaleia

Alice spent her placement with asphaleia, a charity dedicated to impacting the lives of children and young people:

“I knew I wanted to carry out my placement in the 2nd year outside of a school setting; I wanted to get an idea of what different career opportunities were out there as I don’t necessarily want to work in a school. I did my placement at asphaleia which is an organisation made up of five ventures: action (the charity), boost consultancy, care, fostering and training. I worked within the training venture which supports young people, aged between 16 and 24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).”

“I got a lot out of this experience as it enabled me to acquire skills such as managing individual files, planning activities to support these young people and leading a few sessions. As an education student, I felt that it was beneficial to experience a different side to education/training in a different context as it has broadened my understanding of education. This experience opened my eyes to the support that is out there for people who are not in education, employment or training and this is something I will consider doing in the future.”

Brighton Student’s Union

Callum undertook his year two placement at the university’s Students’ Union:

“This was a really interesting opportunity which gave me an idea of some of the wider post-graduate opportunities available to me as a near-graduating student. The team were themselves graduates and many of them took the time to explain how they had applied and got the job and why they wanted to be part of the student union. It also gave me a chance to work in a professional environment and develop professional skills that will be hugely beneficial to me after graduation.”

The Whitehawk Inn

The Whitehawk Inn is a community led organisation in Brighton providing information and advice about learning and work, and a range of support activities for adults.

Vallalar Educational Trust (VET)

Vallalar Educational Trust is located in Tamilnadu, India and has an objective to empower the people in the villages through social, economical and children’s educational development.

Youth Centre

Katie spent her time at a youth centre in Brighton:

“Being in this particular setting enabled me to separate education from schooling in a formal sense, showing me that learning does not always have to take place in classrooms or at desks – education is for everyone and can take place anywhere and be about many things! This has been very beneficial to me, particularly as I am almost graduating and starting my PGCE, because it taught me that as educators we are not just responsible for teaching the curriculum, but also wellbeing and life skills.”