Work Experience 2023
Dear Parent/Carer,
Work Experience 2023
What is Year 10 work experience? Next academic year, all Year 10 students will complete a week of work experience from 20th-24th March 2023.
They will spend Monday 20th in school learning employability skills and preparing for the week ahead. They will spend the following four days in a work placement of their choice. Work experience is a vital part of mainstream education at Key Stage 4 which allows students to gain an insight into the world of work and learn key skills which will help inform students’ career decisions.
How is work experience organised? Students are encouraged to be independent and proactive in finding and confirming placements. In addition to your support at home, they will receive support in school through their SPACE lessons as well as individual guidance from the careers lead where needed. Students will be required to research potential employers and call or visit them to confirm a placement. They will write a cover letter during SPACE lessons and send or deliver their completed letter to an employer with a work experience agreement form for the employer to complete. Finally, students will receive a confirmation when the form is returned, processed and Health and Safety checks have been completed. Sometimes students will need to reapply to another organisation or make a follow up call. We strongly encourage students to start thinking about their options now.
Can students choose a placement which isn’t on a preapproved list? Absolutely. As I am sure you will appreciate, the Health and Safety aspect of placements is a priority. When a student finds a work placement a Health and Safety check will be carried out. New placements, or placements which are further afield or less routine, may take a longer time to check so must be confirmed as early as possible next year.
What do I need to know now? All students must have contacted their placements and delivered their cover letters and relevant forms by December 2022. As such, we recommend having an initial discussion at home with your child about possible work experience options this summer, so that they are ready to apply promptly next year. If a student already knows where they would like to go they are encouraged to make an initial telephone call to ask if the organisation is taking on Year 10 students and might consider them for a placement. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the school or the Work Experience team directly at [email protected].
What can you do to help?
Work Experience is a fantastic opportunity to raise aspirations, broaden mindsets and introduce our students to the world of work. This year saw more diverse and far-reaching placements than ever before. If you have any links to employers who may be able to offer placements or you yourself are able to offer a placement, please let the careers team know.
Yours sincerely,
Ms R Allchurch Mrs J Fielding
Raising Standards Leader/WEX Co-ordinator Careers Lead
