The Process & the Purpose
Work experience is an opportunity for Year 10 and 12 students to get out into the local and wider community to learn, understand and appreciate how a workplace that is of interest to them operates successfully.
It is important pupils made a purposeful choice about their work experience. They should consider:
- How the work placement will give them insight into a career them may be considering
- How the work experience will stand them in good stead when making post-16 applications should they be considering certain apprenticeships or college courses
- Daily transport to and from the work placement
Pupils have the opportunity to arrange their own work experience placement that works for them. We encourage students to leave their comfort zone. A placement should not be the most convenient, but it should be the most worthwhile for the individual.
We use the Unifrog placement tool to add and track all of our work experience placements.
You can also access our 2026 work experience programme information here,which contains lots of useful information for both parents and students who will be undertaking work experience this academic year.
Dates
- Year 10 work experience commences week beginning 6 July 2026
- Year 12 work experience commences week beginning 22 June 2026
Advice for Parents
To help arrange a truly worthwhile placement, organisation is highly important. A lot of workplaces will take a single student per week on a placement, so getting placed early is a key component to a successful placement that is of real value to our students.
We encourage all students to organise their own placements in preparation for the work experience week. The most competitive placements that are filled early tend to be in hospitals, vets, lawyers and accountants.
Should your son/daughter not be placed by Easter we will try to direct them to possible potential employers that may be willing to take them on.
Useful Websites
- All About Careers - Explains why work experience is a vital step when entering the world of work and how you can find suitable placements.
- National Careers Service- Offers online support for young people aged 11-19 via text/email, a free phone telephone advice line, web chat and on their website.