Work Experience
Work Experience is a period of time spent by students in Year 10 in an adult working environment. The variety of places available is limited only by safety, insurance or security restrictions. The choice is determined by the student and courses chosen in consultation with subject teachers, tutors and with Mrs Bishop, the Work Experience and Careers Co-ordinator at school.
Key Dates for 2025
- Year 10 Work Experience – Monday 7th July until Thursday 10th July 2025.
- Year 12 Work Experience – Monday 30th June until Thursday 3rd July 2025
Why Does Work Experience Happen?
Work Experience helps students to:
- Develop key skills, appropriate attitudes and develops personal qualities which together make for work readiness.
- Understand the world of work.
- Increase your knowledge of particular jobs or careers.
- Improve and appreciate your employability skills and talents
- Gain confidence
- Accept the importance of school and college and or university work
What can I do for my Work Experience placement?
Depending upon the courses you are presently studying at school, some, such as Health and Social Care, require you to gain a Work Experience placement within that subject area to support your coursework. You may already have a clear idea of the career you wish to follow post 16 and so Work Experience within that area would be your ideal choice. If you have no clear idea what you would like to do for Work Experience, please see Mrs Bishop, Work Experience and Careers Co-ordinator in the Sixth Form Centre who will be able to help and support you.
Who can help me?
Make sure you discuss your Work Experience placement in depth with your parents/carers and Tutors in the first instance. If you require any guidance or advice please see Mrs Bishop.
What do I hope to gain from Work Experience?
This might include:
- An insight into what the workplace is like.
- Experience/ideas for your future career.
- Learning that you would not like to work in a certain environment in the future.
- Experience and a reference to use when applying to colleges of further education or Sixth Form post 16.
- Learning about yourself – how to approach tasks and deal with problems, your strengths and weaknesses.
- Contact for a future part time or full time job.
Planning the placement
- Look for places which will challenge your abilities and test out your career options.
- Find the right placement in good time.
- Make the initial enquiries and contact the employer yourself preferably by approaching them directly or by writing a letter of application attaching a personal information sheet.
- Keep the school informed.
- Try to take up placement opportunities in non traditional and unusual areas.
- Be prepared to carry out any tasks you are given to the very best of your ability, recognising that some of the tasks may be boring or menial. As you complete these tasks successfully, it is likely that you will be given more stretching tasks as the week progresses.
- Do some basic research beforehand into the employing company and what it does.
Students will be expected to:
- Be punctual, reliable and co-operative. Punctuality and turning up for work on time is vitally important so research your travel arrangements beforehand
- Remember to call the employer and school if you are ill or going to be late.
- Behave properly in an adult working environment.
- Work a normal working day.
- Undertake any reasonable request made by the employer.
- Dress appropriately (finding out what is expected beforehand).
- Listen carefully and follow instructions.
- Abide by all health and safety guidelines as stated by the employer.
- Tell a member of staff where you are at all times.
- Have a positive and helpful attitude.
- Enjoy and stick with it! It is therefore vitally important that you make the right placement choice initially.
- Complete your Work Experience reflection on a daily basis.
Further Information
If you have any queries about Work Experience please contact Mrs Bishop, Work Experience and Careers Co-ordinator at school. Her office is located in Sixth Form Centre.
UNIFROG PLATFORM
Unifrog Letter to Year 10 & Year 12 Parents – 2024.03.13
Why Does Work Experience Happen?
Work Experience helps students to:
- Develop key skills, appropriate attitudes and develops personal qualities which together make for work readiness.
- Understand the world of work.
- Increase your knowledge of particular jobs or careers.
- Improve and appreciate your employability skills and talents
- Gain confidence
- Accept the importance of school and college and or university work
What can I do for my Work Experience placement?
Depending upon the courses you are presently studying at school, some, such as Health and Social Care, require you to gain a Work Experience placement within that subject area to support your coursework. You may already have a clear idea of the career you wish to follow post 16 and so Work Experience within that area would be your ideal choice. If you have no clear idea what you would like to do for Work Experience, please see Mrs Bishop, Work Experience and Careers Co-ordinator in the Sixth Form Centre who will be able to help and support you.
Who can help me?
Make sure you discuss your Work Experience placement in depth with your parents/carers and Tutors in the first instance. If you require any guidance or advice please see Mrs Bishop.
What do I hope to gain from Work Experience?
This might include:
- An insight into what the workplace is like.
- Experience/ideas for your future career.
- Learning that you would not like to work in a certain environment in the future.
- Experience and a reference to use when applying to colleges of further education or Sixth Form post 16.
- Learning about yourself – how to approach tasks and deal with problems, your strengths and weaknesses.
- Contact for a future part time or full time job.
Planning the placement
- Look for places which will challenge your abilities and test out your career options.
- Find the right placement in good time.
- Make the initial enquiries and contact the employer yourself preferably by approaching them directly or by writing a letter of application attaching a personal information sheet.
- Keep the school informed.
- Try to take up placement opportunities in non traditional and unusual areas.
- Be prepared to carry out any tasks you are given to the very best of your ability, recognising that some of the tasks may be boring or menial. As you complete these tasks successfully, it is likely that you will be given more stretching tasks as the week progresses.
- Do some basic research beforehand into the employing company and what it does.
Students will be expected to:
- Be punctual, reliable and co-operative. Punctuality and turning up for work on time is vitally important so research your travel arrangements beforehand
- Remember to call the employer and school if you are ill or going to be late.
- Behave properly in an adult working environment.
- Work a normal working day.
- Undertake any reasonable request made by the employer.
- Dress appropriately (finding out what is expected beforehand).
- Listen carefully and follow instructions.
- Abide by all health and safety guidelines as stated by the employer.
- Tell a member of staff where you are at all times.
- Have a positive and helpful attitude.
- Enjoy and stick with it! It is therefore vitally important that you make the right placement choice initially.
- Complete your Work Experience Diary on a daily basis.
Further Information
If you have any queries about Work Experience please contact Mrs Bishop, Work Experience and Careers Co-ordinator at school. Her office is located in Sixth Form Centre.
