Year 10 Work Experience

Year 10 Work Experience will run for 1 week from: Monday 13th July – Friday 17th July 2026. This is during Enrichment week at school. Placements must be confirmed 3 months before the week of work experience to allow our partner organisation, EBL, to complete the required Health and Safety checks.

Work experience can be a great help if you’re still wondering what sort of career you want.  A work placement is your opportunity to spend a period of time outside the classroom, learning about a particular job or area of work.

A week long taster of life in the work place will help you learn about:

  • Punctuality
  • Dress Code
  • Communication
  • Time Management
  • Pick up new skills, ideas and experiences
  • Customer service
  • Work as part of a team

Contacting Potential Employers

When contacting potential employers, whether it’s over the phone, by letter, email or face to face, you need to be clear and say that you are a Year 10 student and would like to contact the person who co-ordinates work experience. Each company will vary from Job Titles for example:

  • Work Experience Co-ordinator (in a large company)
  • Personnel Manager
  • Office Manager / General Manager

When you get through to the relevant person, tell them your name and which school you are from and say that you are seeking a placement for the period Monday 13th July – Friday 17th July 2026

If you are visiting the company, they may want you to: 

  • Write in for a request
  • Go in for a brief interview

Always find out who you are speaking to and their title, so you know who to write to. 
Employers are much more likely to accept an application from a keen student with a genuine interest rather than from a school contact.

Writing In

  • Send a covering letter requesting a placement, there is a template letter on the school website under ‘Parents and Students’, Work Experience.
  • It’s always a good idea to show enthusiasm and say that you are interested in that particular field.
  • If you are unable to find or need further advice on finding a placement, then please see Mr Wright or Miss Ireland.
  • During your placement, you’ll be able to find out what skills employers look for when they’re hiring someone to fill a job vacancy.
  • You will also get the chance to develop your self-confidence and communication skills. This will help you to work better with other people in further or higher education, as well as in your future career.
  • A template letter will also be shared with you during PSHE lessons.

How to Organise Your Placement

You will be involved in deciding what sort of area you would like to spend your placement in, and what you’d like to achieve in your time there.  Mr Wright, your tutor and PSHE teacher will help you organise your work experience placement and make sure all the paperwork is filled out correctly.

Think about the subjects that you are studying and the sort of career you would like to follow in the future.  Use the list of former placements for some ideas which which can be viewed in Grofar, to research businesses. Think about the subjects that you are studying and the sort of career you would like to follow in the future.  

If you’re hoping to work in a popular or exciting industry, such as in TV or film, then competition for work experience can be really tough and you need to be organised early.  You also need to make a big impression when you send in your request.