Work Experience

Work experience is time spent in a workplace learning about a job role, a company or a career sector.

It provides a fantastic opportunity for students to gain new skills, raise their aspirations and develop their understanding of the world of work.

Students in Year 10 will do a one week placement in the summer term with a local employer to gain experience of the world of work. It can take many months to source and secure a work placement due to the high level of competition and fewer opportunities from employers willing to take on school-aged children. For this reason, it is important to start the process as early as possible.

Due to the amount of time it takes to find suitable placements for students in the areas they wish to experience, students are encouraged to source their own placements with the full support of the school.

The benefits of work experience.

• A placement with a company prepares students for the world of work, and illustrates how they need to get along with colleagues and superiors.
• It also provides an insight into a potential future career – it can cement a chosen path, or dissuade students from taking it at all. Either way, it’s much better to find out early if a particular career is not for them.
• Students see the relevance of what they are learning at school. For example, working within a small technology business would illustrate the importance of an IT or Computing qualification.
• A relevant work placement will motivate students to work hard at school, having seen what exam success could lead to.

The work experience process

Work experience will take place towards the end of the summer term each year. To help you get the placement you want, we have put together a series of steps, guiding you from first ideas to starting your work:

Step 1: Students should begin to research companies where they would like to do their work experience. It helps to have a list of a few companies as sometimes they may have to contact more than one before getting an offer.

Step 2: Students should contact the company or companies that they wish to have a placement with and ask if they can offer work experience.

Step 3: Once students have been offered a placement, they need to complete the placement form on Unifrog.

Step 4: The employer is notified by email, and they confirm that they follow best practices in:

• Safeguarding
• Health and Safety
• Risk Assessment
• Insurance
• GDPR

Step 5: The parent/carer  signs an agreement.

Step 6: The placement coordinator reviews all the information provided by each party, and gives their consent.

Step 7: Students make contact with their work placement provider to confirm arrangements including working hours and dress code.

Step 8: Students attend their placement.