Work Experience

Work Experience at Granville Academy 

At Granville Academy, we provide our Year 10 students with the opportunity to carry out a week's Work Experience in the summer term. Our students took part in a highly successful week's placement in the summer of 2023, the variety of placements  they went to are listed below.  Our current Year 10s will be going out on their placements the week commencing the 8th July, 2024.  

Dogs Play Daycare
Ward & Brewin Funeral Directors
Conkers
R Swain & Sons
Loughborough University
Swadlincote Health Centre
Local primary schools, such as Belmont, Albert Village, St.Edwards Catholic Academy, Belmont, and Church Gresley

This year, introduced students to work experience in November 2023, so they have had plenty of time to gain a work experience placement.

Work Experience week will begin on Monday 8th July, 2024, with the final day being Friday 12th July.  

The application process is student led, but for those who need support, Mr Lambeth, Careers and Aspirations Lead, will support them.  Here are the steps the students will follow to secure a placement:

1. Email/call/visit employers to enquire about a placement (using an email example we have provided).
2. If an employer agrees to having them for a placement, students need to log onto www.unifrog.org, then click on “add a placement”.  They then complete an online form, called “Student Initial Form”. (Unifrog is an online careers platform that we use throughout The de Ferrers Trust Schools). 
3. Once complete, the form is sent automatically via email to the employer and parents/carers. Once students have completed their initial forms, and clicked “Submit”, the forms are then sent to Mr Lambeth, Work Experience/Careers Lead, for authorisation.  

As a school, we have a high regard for careers development for our students, and see their Year 10 Work Experience as a vital step in them leaving education and becoming young adults. It offers them the chance to try the career they are interested in, and sometimes it helps students to see whether it really is something they want to do in the future. Some students make such a great impression that employers offer potential jobs/apprenticeships for when they leave school.

Here are some quotes from our students, who went out on work experience in July, 2023:
 
“Everyone made me feel really welcome, from the moment I arrived”
“I was treated, and spoken to, like an adult, and everyone was so nice!”
“It was exactly what I want to do when I leave school, and the placement was fun”

Employers also gave positive feedback:

“Your student was great with both our team and our customers, and showed great energy and commitment”
“Your student was helpful and kind, communicated well, and was willing to have a go at any task offered to her”

“Both students were really enthusiastic and a credit to your school. Should either wish to have a career in childcare, I would welcome them as either students on placement or as apprentices”

” He was very shy to begin with, but once settled in, his communication skills and willingness to listen, learn and perform tasks were exceptional. Very polite young man, and a credit to his family and school”