Our employers gave us some excellent feedback. Just a few examples are included below:

• Jia was described as “a credit to the school”.  She was given various tasks, including some anonymised, but real, cases. These ranged from corporate due diligence to gaming law; “Given these were university level tasks, her work was impressive”. 

• Saverah impressed at her pharmacy placement by putting her Punjabi language skills to use in engaging with patients and impressing the owners with her positive attitude: “She was outstanding, with excellent communication skills and a very good work ethic.”

• In Lacey’s placement at a care home, she was: “very good at engaging with the residents. Lacey was a pleasure to have and has taken a keen interest in the activities, providing new ideas”.

• Layla received very positive feedback from the Lighthouse Young People’s Centre, where she has been keen to work on projects supporting young girls, and has been trusted to manage her own budget when planning her own project.

• At Select Windows, Nathan was described as “exceptional. Every task I gave him he completed accurately. He was punctual very day, polite and happy to take on any task. I couldn’t ask for more. He was a real credit to your school”.

• Rory worked at a construction consultants, where his communication skills really stood out to his employer: “Rory was attentive and engaged with all the tasks put to him. The work experience involved working with colleagues in the office and also clients and contractors on development sites. He interacted well with all parties.”

Our students also spoke very highly of their experiences:

• Millie had an exciting insight into the police force, helping to train puppies, work with dispatches and even work closely with 101 and 999 call handlers.

• With his ambition to pursue a career as a criminal investigator, Ryan chose to observe varying criminal cases at the Crown Court, saying: “It has genuinely been really good. I'll probably end up doing this more often.”

• Many of our students have used this week as a chance to see if their chosen career is really for them. Aveneet’s experience at an Accountancy firm “has made me realise I definitely want a career in finance, I am just unsure which area”. Similarly, Parvesh explained that his placement at a civil engineering firm has allowed him to “explore the different types of engineering, as I am not sure which one is best for me yet”.

• Our students have also recognised the value of gaining transferable skills. Scarlett is aspiring to pursue a career as a paramedic, but placements within a healthcare setting are hard to secure; nonetheless her work placement in a customer service environment has helped her gain the skills to remain calm under pressure when dealing with difficult customers.

With the competition to secure work experience places ever increasing, but the value of these opportunities being as important as ever, we are very grateful to all of the employers who supported our students this year. 

Arun’s placement with WSP, in the Mailbox, has confirmed his aspiration to pursue quantity surveying.

Millie was able to visit Tally Ho on her placement, learning how their horses are used within the police force.  

Jonathan’s employers at Allsee Technologies put him to work testing their content management systems.

Keira loved her placement at Oakwood School.

Isabel greatly enhanced her management and organisation skills, balancing the many responsibilities of the Commercial Facilities Service for Birmingham City University.

Joseph took his love of sports to Blue Coat Academy where he inspired the younger generation.

Reece disassembles an old DT project at Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School.  

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Our students joined separate teams this time, mixed in with delegates from many other schools from across the country, which helped them to make new lasting friendships and greatly assisted their ability to work with new team dynamics in future. In fact, the whole event gave them ample opportunity to develop a multitude of skills that will be helpful in the future. For example, students experienced the true meaning of leadership by encouraging team members who were struggling, tested their resilience and commitment by staying motivated through a busy schedule, and further developed their public speaking abilities.

It wasn’t all work, students were able to enjoy some free time in Newcastle, as well as attend a variety of evening entertainment, including a quiz night and karaoke. Our students led a sing-along to Wonderwall and were swiftly joined by many of their new friends (England went on to beat France 6-4 in that evening’s match).

The main aim of this event was to foster inclusion, bringing students from a wide range of backgrounds together to debate the issues of our time. Our students not only made new friends, but were encouraged to be themselves without fear and to step outside their comfort zones, growing their confidence and inspiring and empowering them for the future. Not only this, but students also gained a real taste of university life, living in student accommodation and working on campus.

Our students are keen to encourage our newest cohort of Year 12 students to take part in the competition again next year.

We would like to extend our thanks to everyone at the European Youth Parliament who volunteered their time to organise and support such an enriching opportunity for our students. We further wish to thank the students and staff from all of the other school’s involved, who made our team feel so welcome.

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In the busy centre of Birmingham’s commercial district in Snow Hill, pupils stepped inside the offices and met with multiple employers who discussed their roles. They also took on several challenges based on real world examples of consultancy services provided by KPMG, trying their hand at solving problems businesses face when providing for their customers. All activities were designed to help pupils think creatively, solve problems, work collaboratively, and communicate with confidence.

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The feedback received was overwhelming positive, with 100% of parents saying their child enjoyed the placement and the vast majority of pupils getting the chance to develop their skillset and come away feeling more positive about the world of work. Our feedback from parents encouraged greater access to longer work placements, something we are looking into for the future.

Even more good news came from employers, with 100% confirming that our pupils represented the school well. We have also been gathering insights into work experience from an employer perspective, to help us better work with their needs and to understand the benefits and challenges faced. We look forward to maintaining strong relationships with employers and shaping impactful experiences for our pupils moving forward.

Thank you to all of the parents and carers who worked hard to secure a placement for their child and to every employer that gave up their day to help our pupils settle in and get a valuable day in the workplace. 

For our pupils who remained in school on this day, a special employer led event was arranged in school. Pupils got to experience life in the army, with a talk about the different careers available within the army, followed by an Elite Skills course, where pupils took part in multiple hands on activities to test their team work and problem solving abilities under pressure. Pupils were also given time to research careers linked to their skills and interests in computer room sessions supported by UCAS. 

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The Department for Work and Pensions gave students a taste of their assessment centre process, giving pupils the chance to take on two group tasks, and also to get direct feedback from employers for their conduct, not just during the tasks, but throughout the event. This feedback was overwhelmingly positive. 

The students themselves said: 

“It was a really good session. I took away a lot from it. I didn’t need to be worried at all; this has given me a confidence boost.”

“Definitely one of the most enjoyable sessions I have been a part of in long time. Sometiemes it is hard to concentrate when a guest speaker just talks at us, but this was fun and much more interactive.”

“I felt like my skills definitely grew as the session went on.”

“I learnt lots about how the assessment process works. I didn’t know any of this before the session. I came away with lots of tips.”

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The European Youth Parliament brings students together to debate the issues of our time. It is an apolitical, youth-led organisation active in over 33 countries across Europe. This debate competition aims to inspire and empower young people. 14 very brave students in Year 12, with aspirations to enter legal or political careers, entered the competition. They have been preparing their positions over several weeks and today faced spirited debate with schools from across the Midlands region.

Students were actively involved in all debates, but were particularly well prepared, and made impressive points around the motion for the Resolution of Childhood Hunger, tackling the challenges proposed by offering Free School Meals for all children. There was also a lively debate around the Committee on Transport for Tourism, with our teams defending the motion for stricter controls on short-term rentals and digital nomadism. Our students even stepped up and made last minute speeches to oppose open debates, pushing themselves out of their comfort zones. 

Both teams represented the school extremely well, putting a huge amount of effort into both their preparation before the event and their enthusiastic engagement on the day.

Huge congratulations to the winning team: Nathan, Millie, Jake, Vibha, Halima and Syed.

We are extremely proud of all of our participants and their conduct at the event and would also like to offer our congratulations to our wonderful participants:  Chanel, Sienna, Rabiya, Reandeep, Destiny, Tori, Saverah and Layla.

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A series of interactive tasks taught pupils how to change a tyre, identify the parts of an engine and repair bodywork. They also had a tour of the facilities. 

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Following an information session, pupils then had the chance to meet lots of current apprenticeship students to learn about their experiences. They also had the opportunity to talk to T Level students and learn about other technical pathways that can be a great alternative to traditional A levels for some pupils. 

What is a T Level?:

https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/students

Learn more about apprenticeships:

https://www.ucas.com/apprenticeships

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