Working in partnership with independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, three Hinchley Wood School students will be taking over the running of Hampton Court Palace on Friday 11 November 2011, or at least the part that deals with its visitors!
The year 10 students have been invited to take on the roles of three key members of the Palace staff – Head of Visitor Services, Visitor Experience Manager and State Apartment Warder Supervisor – as part of national Takeover Day, an event initiated by Kids in Museums in conjunction with the Children’s Commissioner. Initially aimed at meaningfully involving young people in museums, this second year sees the campaign extended to heritage sites including Hampton Court Palace, which was keen to be involved.
The aim is for young people to have a ‘real life’ working experience, so to start with it will be a slightly longer day than usual for Hinchley Wood students Vlad Marshall, Hannah Schmidt and Paloma Wooden. Although guided by their professional adult counterparts, they will be expected to take over the palace jobs completely, from chairing meetings and making decisions to touring the grounds and attending a special Remembrance Day ceremony.
“This is a great opportunity for Vlad, Hannah and Paloma, who worked hard to earn their place at Hampton Court Palace” commented head teacher Steve Poole. “It was not a case of just volunteering, they had to apply for the jobs, be shortlisted and then attend an interview. However, it does mean they have had a glimpse of what it is like to look for employment and it will be an invaluable experience for them, as well as looking great on their CV!”
Daniel Ferguson, Education Manager at Hampton Court Palace, said: “We are delighted to support this initiative at the Palace. Thousands of students visit us every year to learn about Henry VIII, but Takeover Day is an opportunity for these highly motivated students to develop their skills in an inspiring working environment, and make decisions that will have a real impact on the visitor experience."
