Year 10 Work Experience 7 - 11th July 2025
We are delighted to be offering Year 10 students the opportunity to undertake a week of work experience as part of our careers programme for Year 10. The current Year 11 had excellent feedback from their placements with how they performed and have told us that they really appreciated the chance to gain this experience and we hope that the same will happen with your children.
This academic year, work experience will take place during the week Monday 7th to Friday 11th July 2025. There will be no Year 10 lessons during this week, unless in exceptional circumstances.
We care deeply at Redland Green School that our students are prepared for the world beyond school and we believe that the opportunity to take part in work experience is an integral part of this education, as it allows students an excellent insight into possible career paths and also supports student’s decision making process for their post-16 education.
In addition, work experience is a valuable opportunity for students to increase their confidence in engaging with employers. Whilst we would ask that you support your child in their search for a placement, we would encourage students to contact possible employers directly so that they can create those personal connections and develop their communication skills.
Students should consider carefully the type of work they wish to undertake on their placements. These may be local or, if opportunities are available, further afield. Whilst it may seem a long way off, we strongly recommend that students start contacting potential employers as soon as possible as placements can be limited and opportunities are available to other schools.
Please also be aware that some employers may also have a particular application process that they require in order for students to take part in this type of opportunity with them.
Making it official
Once students have agreed a placement with the employer, students should enter these details onto their Grofar account. This will trigger communication with employers and parents arriving from RGS Careers Team to ensure that the correct health and safety information is shared with us. For safeguarding reasons, the placement CAN NOT go ahead if this is not done.
Watch this video to find out how to enter the details onto your Grofar account
This slide also gives you a step by step guide on how to enter your placement on Grofar
We aim to ensure that all placement details are submitted by Monday 19th February.
This deadline allows us to complete essential administrative checks.
WEX WEDNESDAY - lunchtime drop in sessions 13:30 - 14:00 - C4.23/C4.27
Students can drop in to see Ms Yeganeh or Mrs Kennaby (our careers advisor) if they have any questions or need support with work experience. This could include, but is not limited to:
- Supporting to add to details to Grofar
- Giving advice
- Using the phone to make calls
- Doing applications
If you have any additional questions then please email the Careers Team Y10workexperience@redlandgreen.bristol.sch.uk
Work Experience Introduction
What to look for in a work placement and wording for a possible email to employers asking for a placement:
Click here to watch our 'Work Experience Introduction'
rgs wex introduction 2024 25 pptx.pdf
How to secure a work experience placement
- Find hidden opportunities – think outside the box; use your contacts and resources i.e. the careers adviser, the internet, direct websites, job pages
- Contact employers – call first to explain what you are looking for, get a name and their email address, then email that person directly with your cover letter and CV.
- Write a strong cover letter and a targeted CV – speak directly to the employer, talk about how your transferable skills would be useful and your interest in the company and in what they do
- Follow up – just because they haven’t got back to you it doesn’t mean the answer is no!
- Ask the key questions:
Do they have employer liability insurance?
What will you actually be doing?
What are your start and finish times?
What do you need to wear etc.? - Additional guidance can be found on the prospects website or watch this short video
Entering your work experience placement on Grofar
In order for your work experience to be processed, you must enter the details via your Grofar account.
Watch this video to find out how to enter the details onto your Grofar account
This slide also gives you a step by step guide on how to enter your placement on Grofar
Contacting employers
We would always recommend phoning or visiting employers as a way of asking for work experience as this builds a personal connection. However, if you would like to email them then you could use this template to word your email.
In order for your work placement to be approved, the employer must have Employer's Liability Insurance, so please ask any potential employer about this. We will confirm this with them once you have entered your placement onto Grofar.
Should your employer have any queries about their Health and Safety requirements for hosting you on a placement, you can direct them to the HSE website which outlines their responsibilities. Feel free to tell them that there is not really any red tape for them!
All placement details should be submitted by Monday 21st April 2025. This deadline allows us to complete some administrative checks. We would recommend that students aim to get places in place as soon as possible as they can become hard to find.
Additional work experience outside of official school WEX week
Approval for students to complete 'specialised work experience placements' outside of the allocated week in Term 6 (Year 10) are at the schools discretion based on a students current overall attendance and nature of the placement. Such placements are advertised through the careers team on behalf of specific providers and sectors that do not provide work experience opportunities during the designated work experience period.