YEAR 10 - 26 September 2025 - Work Experience

September 2025

 Dear Parents and Carers,

Year 10 Practice Interviews - 15th and 22nd October

As preparation for Year 10 work experience (9th – 13th February 2026), every student in Year 10 will have the opportunity to have a practice interview with a volunteer from business. This will give them an invaluable opportunity to have professional conversations about their aspirations and future ambitions as well as building confidence and developing vital communication skills that are so important to employers.

The interviews will be taking place on 9th and 16th October and will last for about 15 minutes. Students will be asked some pre-prepared typical interview questions followed by short feedback to help them develop their answers for future interviews.

Work Experience 9th – 13th February 2026

Every Year 10 student is encouraged to secure work experience, and the main aim is to help prepare students for the transition from school to work. It is important for employers to see that students are well- rounded individuals who have learnt experience directly from the workplace. Colleges and sixth forms now frequently request students to have completed a work experience placement, which is another reason why it is so important that this is secured.

Your child has been tasked to contact up to five employers and secure a placement by the end of Term 2 with the necessary paperwork. This is so that we have enough time to carry out the required health and safety checks with the employer to ensure that your child is safe whilst on placement.

Please could you support your child by encouraging them to phone and email their chosen employers. They can contact family and friends who may be able to offer them a placement and also look around for local employers in their area and search online. If they are using a family contact, please check that they have up to date employer liability insurance as this is a legal requirement. Myself and your child’s tutor will also be supporting your child to write letters, make phone calls and help them with applications.

If your child has had a placement confirmed by an employer, all that needs to be returned to me is the attached agreement and health declaration form. This needs to be signed by the employer, yourself and your child. This employer will then undergo a health and safety check to ensure the placement is safe and secure for the student.

This can be a great opportunity for your child to develop confidence and gain experience for the future, so any help to secure work experience placements would be greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please do feel free to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Rachel Thorne

Careers and Employability Lead

RThorne@orchard.tila.school