Year 10 Work Experience

Work experience provides a glimpse into the real world of work, helping you understand what careers interest you and which ones might not be a good fit. It's like trying on different hats before committing to one. Secondly, it also builds essential skills like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management. These skills are transferable and will benefit you in any future job.

Moreover, having work experience on your CV can make you more attractive to colleges and future employers. It demonstrates your initiative and responsibility. Additionally, work experience often leads to valuable connections and references. Networking with professionals can open doors to future opportunities.

When will my work experience take place?

If you are in X band your work experience will take place on Monday 30 June and Tuesday 1 July.

If you are in Y band your work experience will take place on Wednesday 2 July and Thursday 3 July.

Your work experience placement cannot start any earlier than 8am.

When do I need to organise my placement by?

To ensure that there is enough time to organise work experience placements, placements must be arranged by the end of Term 4.

What do I need to do?

Following your PSHE lessons in Term 2, you now need to begin thinking about organising your work experience placement. Whilst it may seem a long way off, it is important to organise it early so that you are able to get a placement that is going to be worthwhile for you.

Here are the steps you need to take to prepare to go on work experience:

1. Login to Unifrog and read through their student guide to work experience which can be found by clicking here. For now, focus on just the first two sections "Finding placements" and "Finding contacts and how to message them". If you are finding it difficult to decide on a placement contact Mr Eke at the earliest opportunity if you need any support in arranging placements.
   
   

2. Once you have an idea of where you want to do your work experience. Complete the short survey found by clicking here, to let Mr Eke know your initial ideas for your placement.
   
   

3. It is now time to get in contact with the organisation via email to ask if they can host you on the dates specified above.

   You should use the template found here to help you write your email.

   Your email must be sent from your school email address.
   
   

4. Once you hear back from the organisation that they would be happy to host you for your placement, you should reply to them thanking them and use the paragraph found by clicking here to let them know what to expect next.
   
   

5. You now need to fill in the student placement form on Unifrog. Take time to complete this form carefully and use the video below to help you fill it in correctly. Click here to access the form.

What happens next?

Once you complete the placement form on Unifrog the following will happen:

1. An email is sent to the employer directly from Unifrog and they are asked to complete a form providing key information about your placement and documents including insurance, health and safety policy and risk assessments to allow us to verify that they are able to host you safely and legally.
   
   

2. Your parent or carer will receive an email and be asked to confirm that they agree to the placement taking place.
   
   

3. The placement coordinator (Mr Eke) will review all of the information provided by both parties and if everything is ok the placement is approved. At this stage everyone involved in the placement (you, your parent/carer and the employer) will get an "It's going ahead" email to confirm the placement is approved to take place. 
   If you do not receive this email, the placement must not take place. 
   
   

It is very important that you regularly check your school email account throughout the process so you do not miss emails about your work experience placement as this will slow down the approval process.

If you have any questions about the process for organising your placement or would like support in completing the form please email Mr Eke.

What do I need to do whilst on work experience?

You will receive more information later in the year about how you can ensure you make the most out of your work experience placement. This will be delivered during PSHE in Term 6.

Do I need to do anything after my placement?

You will be sent a short form directly from Unifrog to reflect on your work experience. It is an important step, that helps you consider how you will use your experience on placement to inform your future.

What if I am unable to organise a placement to go on?

Speak to Mr Eke as early as possible in the process, he may be able to reach out to employers on your behalf to see if they would be able to host you for work experience.

If we are unable to arrange for you to go on a work experience placement, you will complete virtual work experience for your two days. Where possible this will be based on your current career interests.