Work Experience 2025

Year 10 & 12 – Monday 14th to Friday 18th July 2025

Work experience gives students the chance to learn about what type of job they might enjoy, and develop their CV. We know it can be one of the most transformational experiences young people have during their education.

Students (and their families) should source their own work experience placements.  We will endeavour to support any students who have been unable to find their own, but because we have limited resources, we expect to only be able to help a few students.

We are using Unifrog (www.unifrog.org) to manage the administration of the work experience programme – for example collecting information from the employer about their Risk Assessment and Health & Safety policy, as well as getting agreement from yourselves for the placement to go ahead.

Some important logistics:

• Students need to agree the placement with the employer first, and then students will get the ball rolling by adding the placement to their Unifrog account
• The Unifrog system will then email the employer, the parent/guardian, and the school, to collect the necessary information and permissions. For the process to work, it’s essential that students add the initial information about the placement accurately.

We understand that some companies/organisations set their own dates, if this is the case then please ask your son/daughter to email Mrs Pascoe (workexperience@beechencliff.org.uk) to let her know and we will confirm the alternative dates, where possible. 

If your son/daughter takes part in work experience on alternative days, then they will be expected either to find another placement for the week commencing Monday 14th July or to be in school during that week – we will be running “Experience of the Workplace”/Careers activities during that week for any students who are in school.

Please see the information and links below that will support your son/daughter to find their placement.  If you have any further questions please contact your child’s tutor for further support.

Careers inspiration and advice

Don’t worry if you’re still not sure about the kind of career you want. Work experience is a great way of trying out a job or industry to see if it’s for you.

If you do not know what job you want yet, or you cannot get your perfect placement, any work experience is better than none. Whatever job you try, you’ll learn more about yourself and working life. 

Work experience is a chance for you to:

  • find out what inspires you
  • come up with career ideas and try them out
  • discover your strengths, values, motivations and interests
  • meet new people and build your network of contacts
  • identify any reasonable adjustments you may need because of a disability or long term health condition
  • It can also help you to rule out options, which can help to focus your career ideas.

It can be helpful to think about what you like to do and where you feel your strengths lie. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What are my favourite subjects at school?
  • What subjects am I good at and which ones do I find more difficult?
  • What do I enjoy doing outside school? Could I turn my hobby into a career?
  • What jobs have I heard about or seen other people doing? Could I see myself doing any of these jobs?

It can also be useful to speak to friends, family members and your teachers about their careers and how they got there. These conversations will help you start to get an idea of what different jobs are like and what qualifications and experiences you will need for particular careers.

You can find useful careers information and planning tools online, here are some examples: 

  • National Careers Service – explore over 800 job profiles, match your skills and interests to potential jobs 
  • Springpod – Meet industry experts, complete mini-activities, and experience real workplace activities
  • Barclays Life Skills – advice and guidance related to work experience
  • Youth Employment UK – advice about how to write a CV that helps you stand out to employers.
  • Speakers For Schools – the perfect place to start your career journey! Explore the latest placements on offer from hundreds of employers across a wide range of industries.
  • Success at School – explore different careers, find out about top employers
  • Prospects – careers advice and jobs for school leavers, graduates and professionals
  • UCAS – Work experience, placements, and volunteering are great ways to demonstrate your enthusiasm, knowledge, and passion for your chosen subject area.