Work Experience
In Year 12 all students will complete a 1 week work experience placement. Work Experience is an exciting opportunity for students to gain early exposure to the workplace. Students are encouraged to complete work experience and other activities outside of lessons to prepare them for the wider world, higher education and employment.
Work experience gives students the opportunity to build on key skills, increase confidence and inform future career decisions. A placement will also give students the added bonus of gaining experiences to include on their CV, UCAS applications and in job interviews.
Past work experience placements have included:
- Medical and Veterinary practices
- MP/Parliamentary
- Primary and Secondary Schools
- Mechanical/Engineering
- Retail stores
- Sports and Leisure
- Administration
While students are encouraged to find their own placements, we have a database of employers and contacts that students will be able to make use of. We will also be able to assist students in securing a placement and ensuring that the necessary paperwork and checks are completed.
To ensure students’ safety at all times, paperwork and checks needs to be in place before a placement can begin. This includes Parent/Carer consent forms, medical information forms, Employer Risk Assessments and employer DBS checks (if needed). To manage this process we use the Unifrog platform for guidance please use the following link.
Please avoid making medical appointments during work experience. You should let us know as soon as possible if you are ill or away on an Academy trip so that we can give the employer plenty of notice.
T Level Placements
Students taking T Level subjects will be required to complete work experience as part of their course. Placements will be related to their studies to give students the opportunity to complete an Employer Set Project (ESP) and apply the knowledge they have learnt during their T Level course. Placements will be arranged through the students’ T Level teacher and the work experience team. Students will receive feedback from their employer along with being assessed in the workplace by their T Level Teacher.
BTEC Work Experience
Students taking BTEC subjects in Year 13 may be asked to complete work experience as part of their course. Placements should be related to their studies to give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge they have learnt during their BTEC course. Placements will be arranged through the students’ BTEC tutor and the work experience team.
Work Experience at other times
A popular choice for students is to complete Job shadowing opportunities, taster days, or ongoing work experience during their Non-Contact Time/free sessions.
Some students cannot always arrange a placement to fit into their timetable and certain invaluable placements may require students to miss lessons for a block of time. We want to encourage students to complete work experience and so in special circumstances students can contact our Director of Sixth Form or Head of Year 12 and 13 to obtain consent for the alternative dates. It will be the student’s responsibility to catch up on any missed work.
All enquiries in the first instance to:
- Daren Bates
01827 301820
[email protected]