For students applying for work experience in nurseries and primary schools

A simple, safe way to enrich learning through international work experience

Nurseries and primary schools in Nottingham can host motivated international students as classroom or early years assistants through our award-winning work experience programme. Students support daily activities, small-group work and creative projects, while schools benefit from extra hands, fresh perspectives and meaningful cultural exchange — fully aligned with safeguarding and UK compliance requirements.

This initiative is fully designed and managed by Learn in a Flash, in partnership with European secondary schools that formally validate the placement as part of students’ curricular traineeships.

What students can support in your school

International students are not teachers and never replace staff. They act as classroom and early years assistants, supporting learning and daily routines under staff supervision.

Typical activities include:

• Helping prepare learning materials and tidy classrooms
• Supporting small group activities and reading time
• One-to-one support for pupils who benefit from extra attention
• Creative workshops (arts, simple crafts, storytelling)
• Cultural activities (sharing traditions, simple language exposure, country projects)
• Supporting outdoor play and supervised activities
• Helping with displays and learning corners

Where appropriate, short project work can be integrated into your curriculum (for example history topics, local culture, European traditions, or creative weeks).

Educational value for your pupils

Hosting an international student brings real educational benefits:

• Intercultural awareness – children experience different cultures in a natural, age-appropriate way
• Curiosity and motivation – pupils engage more when learning feels “real-world”
• Language exposure – gentle, informal exposure to spoken English and other languages
• Peer learning – pupils gain confidence interacting with someone new
• Creativity boost – fresh ideas for art, storytelling and themed activities

This aligns well with British values, inclusion, and global citizenship themes within the primary curriculum.

Safeguarding, DBS and compliance (what schools care about most)

Safeguarding comes first. Every placement is structured to respect UK school policies and responsibilities:

• All students are vetted by both the sending school and our organisation
• Original criminal record checks from the home country are provided
• Parental consent for under-18s
• Full paperwork prepared in advance
• Placements are insured under the students’ education system and UK employer liability frameworks
• Students are briefed on UK safeguarding standards and school expectations
• No unsupervised work with children
• Schools retain full control over activities and access

We coordinate between:

• Headteachers
• School tutors / mentors
• Parents
• Host families
• Students
• Local area managers

So schools are never left to manage this alone.

What schools gain (practical benefits)

• Extra support in class without recruitment costs
• No salary costs (placements are unpaid and curricular)
• Flexible timing (short placements, themed weeks, or longer support periods)
• Enrichment of international, cultural and citizenship learning
• Positive experience for Ofsted evidence around inclusion and global awareness
• Strong community links and international outlook

What we manage for you

You don’t need to build systems or chase paperwork. We handle:

• Student sourcing and matching
• Vetting and documentation
• DBS coordination
• International legal compliance
• Pre-arrival training for students
• Ongoing mediation and support
• Liaison with schools, families and host organisations

You simply decide if, when, and how you want to host a student.

Is this suitable for your nursery or primary school?

This programme is ideal if your school:

• Values multicultural learning
• Has capacity for supervised support in classrooms
• Wants enrichment without budget impact (the services are co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, paying insurances and supporting staff, making it a free service for hosting organisations)
• Enjoys hosting visitors, trainees or student teachers
• Supports global citizenship education

You can choose:

• Programme, Activities & Project work
• Limitations
• Candidates

Interested? Contact us · Offer work experience