8 minute read
Work experience
Giving youngsters a taste of the world of work
One of the secondary school milestones your child can look forward to is their first work experience placement, usually in Year 10.
This is a chance for your son or daughter to get out and explore the world of work and gain some invaluable insight which could inspire their future career choice.
Their teachers will no doubt explain more about the process when the time comes, but it doesn’t hurt to have an early understanding of what they will be required to do.
And some early planning may also help to ensure they secure a placement in their preferred industry, especially if it’s one that’s going to be popular.
If you know where they want to work or what sector they would like to work in, then you can start making enquiries ahead of time.
For pupils who don’t know what career they might like in the future, experts recommend they think about what they are passionate about as that should spark some ideas.
If they like animals then they may want to look into options that will enable them to work closer with them. If they enjoy looking after younger siblings or babysitting then childcare or teaching might be a good fit.
Nearer the time, pupils should speak to their teachers or careers advisor at school as they will be able to help with organising the placement and with speaking to the correct people as well as dealing with the logistics.
Work experience is said to offer many benefits to teenagers such as boosting their confidence and inspiring their future career goals.
Placements will also help them to develop skills such as communicating with others, working in a team and problem solving, which will be beneficial to their studies.
If your child wants to enter the world of work after leaving school, then work experience can also be a route to landing a job.
Impressing an employer during a work experience placement could mean they think of your child when they are looking to recruit. Many companies will offer opportunities to people who are known to them or they know already have an insight into the business.
If your child plans to go to university or start an apprenticeship, then having completed work experience in a sector related to their course or preferred place of work will show that they have enthusiasm and have made an effort to get a better understanding of what the job involves and what is required from them.
Competition for university places in areas such as medicine or veterinary practice can be tough, so having already secured work experience can help to make their UCAS application stand out.
Although it’s usually a two-week work experience placement in Year 10, many companies will allow students to return during school holidays so they can build on their skills and learning.
For many employers, nothing is more impressive than a candidate with relevant work experience, and having this on their CV can put them a cut above other applicants.
A THRIVING SCHOOL RENOWNED FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND OUTSTANDING EXTRA-CURRICULAR PROVISION WHICH PROMISES A WARM WELCOME TO ALL
Renowned for academic excellence and outstanding extra-curricular provision, our diverse and inclusive school offers a first class education.
Each year many students join us from schools across Wolverhampton and the surrounding counties. Our school transport offers travel options from Telford, Bridgnorth, Stourbridge, Oldbury, Walsall and Penkridge.
Whether you are coming alone or with friends from your junior school, you can be sure of a warm welcome at Wolverhampton Grammar School. New students quickly settle and make friends supported by their form tutor and our pastoral team. We offer lots of opportunities to come into school to meet with future classmates, teachers and to enjoy a BBQ social ahead of the new academic year. All Year 7s also have their own induction day before the normal start of term.
There are lots of things to look forward to at Wolverhampton Grammar School, which we often refer to fondly as WGS. Extra-curricular activities are varied and plentiful and include everything from debating, climbing, Duke of Edinburgh and magic club to Warhammer and Pokémon Go! There are school trips such as sports and music tours and all Year 7s go on their own residential to Oakerwood Activity Centre and experience outdoor activities such as rafting and climbing.
In Year 7, all students have their own iPad and Apple pencil. By using iPad technology, students can benefit from their own bespoke textbooks. Whilst traditional texts are available digitally and are used for the GCSE and A-level syllabus, in Years 7 to 9 students’ learning is further enhanced through customised teaching and learning resources, created by handpicking the best mix of offline and online resources. These are then differentiated for students so that each is getting a learning experience tailored to them. Whilst this blended learning approach successfully empowers students to interrogate and investigate independently, the emphasis is still very much on outstanding staff and student relationships.
Once a state grammar school for boys, our 510-year-old establishment now offers the very best 4-18 through-school independent education for boys and girls in the City of Wolverhampton and its environs.
Entrance to our Senior School will be assessed on Saturday 14th January, 2023, for students currently in Year 6 and applications are being taken up until the deadline of Friday 2nd December 2022.
We highly recommend that prospective families take the opportunity to visit us on Saturday 8th October to find out more. Scholarships and Bursaries are also available for entry at age 11 years and 16+.
Education | COMMUNITY Old Swinford Hospital
OLD SWINFORD HOSPITAL IS A HAPPY, VIBR ANT AND DISTINCTIVE STATE BOARDING SCHOOL WHERE TRADITIONS, COMMUNITY AND VALUES SIT COMFORTABLY ALONGSIDE INNOVATION
Existing for more than 350 years, Old Swinford Hospital (or OSH for short) has the air of a school whose values are deeply rooted in the beliefs of its founder, industrialist Thomas Foley. He opened the School in 1667 for boys to develop the skills and attributes required to make a difference in the wider world. In 2021, girls were welcomed into Year 7 for the first time to great success and OSH is now co-educational.
Rated Outstanding for boarding by Ofsted and bringing together boarders and day pupils within its community, OSH prides itself on offering a different kind of educational experience where learning doesn’t end at the afternoon school bell. Staff understand and respond to the individual and collective personalities of pupils, and help each one to find and develop his or her own voice. Diversity of life is embraced, and learning to live – not simply work – alongside one another is a skill that cannot be underestimated.
‘Pupils live together, learn together and thrive at Old Swinford Hospital’ – Ofsted 2021
Preparing pupils for the future underpins everything we do. Through a broad academic curriculum and cocurricular opportunities, OSH encourages pupils to ‘discover who they can be’. From becoming national engineering champions,
FACTFILE:
Admissions: Tailored Boarding, Flexi-Boarding and Day places available for boys and girls in Year 7 Rated OUTSTANDING for boarding by Ofsted Fees per term: Tailored Boarding £4,194 and Flexi-Boarding £2,097. There are no fees for Day pupils Open mornings are Saturday 17 September, 2022, and Saturday 10 June, 2023 Visit www.oshsch.com for more information, or contact admissions@oshsch.com or 01384 817325 to arrange your personal boarding tour.
debating at the European Parliament, playing netball in Malta or rugby in South Africa, visiting the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, or performing orchestral music in European cathedrals, OSH offers a huge array of activities for your son or daughter to get involved in.
Academically, OSH ranks highly nationally in terms of progress, attainment and educational performance. All pupils will encounter great variety in their day; from sports to Shakespeare, coding to Mandarin. They will take end of year exams as well as regular end of topic tests to assess personal learning and academic development. A level and BTEC students have support with focussed careers guidance, work experience and their university applications.
Year 7 pupils begin their journey at OSH as either Tailored Boarders, Flexi-Boarders or Day pupils.
Tailored Boarders and Flexi-Boarders pay a fee which includes access to boarding houses, meals and after school activities. Day places are free as pupils only come into school for lessons and representative co-curricular activities.
OSH’s co-curriculum offers great breadth and inventiveness with a full programme of sporting, cultural and intellectual pursuits. Beyond lessons, pupils have more than 45 co-curricular activities on offer – most of which are included in the boarding fee for Tailored or Flexi-Boarders – and will be able to develop their adventure skills through the Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh Award. Plus, there are many inter-house competitions (music, drama and sport to name a few!) or Student Voice, debating and council to get involved with. Pupils will find themselves stimulated and stretched, and regularly introduced to new activities so they can prove to themselves that they can venture into the unknown and achieve what they once thought was beyond them.
Importantly, the School has a strong culture of pastoral care for all of its pupils. In boarding this extends to their life in the boarding community where boys and girls each have their own boarding houses, staffed with dedicated and experienced support teams, making boarding a ‘home from home’.
We encourage families interested in boarding to come and visit us in order to see for themselves what a distinctive and upbeat community we are. We’d be happy to give you a personal tour of our boarding houses and facilities, and taster boarding stays are available.
