The Walnuts School: Preparing Students for Work

Walnuts School in Milton Keynes caters for children with learning difficulties. Older children are prepared for the world of work through placements with local employers. The school commissioned a video to showcase their work placement scheme with a view to recruiting additional employers. At Performance Media we have a long tradition of working with schools and young people. We recognise the importance of involving both teachers and pupils in the production process so that the whole community has a sense of engagement in the video. For Walnuts School, we suggested that the video was narrated by the key staff member responsible for the work placement programme so that the appeal to employers was direct and personal. Whilst recording the video, we interviewed a number of young people with communication difficulties but were delighted and encouraged by the extent to which they spoke freely and openly in front of the camera.