---

 

At Cardinal Heenan, we are committed to supporting our students in finding meaningful and valuable work experience placements.

Work experience provides young people with an important opportunity to experience the world of work first-hand. It enables students to develop essential workplace skills, explore potential career pathways, build confidence and gain a greater understanding of the responsibilities and expectations of working life.

All Year 10 students will take part in a work experience placement during the final two weeks of the summer term.

Our next Year 10 Work Experience programme will take place from:

Monday 5 July – Friday 16 July 2027

We encourage students to begin thinking about potential placements early and to consider opportunities that reflect their interests, strengths and future career aspirations.

Arranging a Work Experience Placement

Students are encouraged to take an active role in arranging their own work experience placement. This is known as a self-placement and gives students the opportunity to find an experience that reflects their interests, strengths and future career aspirations.

Students should begin by considering the type of work or industry they would like to experience before researching suitable employers and organisations. They should then contact potential employers directly to ask whether they are able to offer a work experience placement. This can be done in person, by telephone or by email.

Students will be fully supported in school by our Careers Team throughout this process. The team will provide guidance on identifying suitable opportunities, approaching employers and making contact professionally, as well as offering additional support to students who may need help securing a placement.

We encourage students to begin looking for a placement as early as possible, as some employers receive a high number of work experience requests and opportunities can fill quickly.

---

Things to Consider When Arranging a Work Experience Placement

When choosing a work experience placement, students should think carefully about whether the opportunity is right for them. Students and parents/carers should consider the following:

• Career interests and aspirations: Where possible, students should choose a placement that reflects their interests, strengths and future career aspirations. Work experience is an excellent opportunity to explore a career or industry, develop relevant skills and find out whether a particular type of work is right for them.
• Travel time and transport: Students should consider how far they will need to travel each day and whether the journey is realistic for the full two-week placement. Before committing to a placement, students should research their route, journey times, public transport availability and travel costs. They should also consider the employer’s expected start and finish times.
• Working with family members: We encourage students to seek placements away from parents, carers or relatives wherever possible. An important part of work experience is developing independence, meeting new people and experiencing a new working environment.
• Working arrangements: For safeguarding and safety reasons, placements where a student would be working on a one-to-one basis with an individual cannot be accepted.
• Protective clothing and equipment: Some workplaces may require students to wear specific protective clothing or equipment. This may not always be provided by the employer, so students should check what is required before confirming their placement.
• Working with children or vulnerable adults: Some placements may have additional safeguarding requirements. Students should check with the employer and the Careers Team whether any additional checks or arrangements are required.
• Working with animals: Students considering placements involving animals should ensure that their tetanus vaccination is up to date and discuss any specific health and safety requirements with the employer.
• Employer insurance and health & safety requirements: All placements must meet the school’s health and safety requirements before they can be approved. Employers will be required to have appropriate Employers’ Liability Insurance, a Health and Safety Policy and a suitable Risk Assessment in place.
• Uploading documentation to Unifrog: As part of the approval process, the employer will be required to upload the relevant documentation to the Unifrog portal, including evidence of Employers’ Liability Insurance, their Health and Safety Policy and the relevant Risk Assessment. A placement cannot be fully approved until the required information and checks have been completed.

---

Completing the Unifrog Placements Tool

Once a student has secured a work experience placement, the placement must be recorded and approved through the Unifrog Placements Tool.

The approval process involves the student, employer and parent/carer, so it is important that all information entered is accurate, particularly email addresses.

Step 1 – Student
The student logs into their Unifrog account and adds the details of their work experience placement, including the employer’s contact information. Students should ensure that the employer email address provided belongs to the person who will be responsible for completing the placement information.

Step 2 – Employer
Once the student has submitted their placement, Unifrog will automatically email the employer. The employer will be asked to confirm the placement and provide the required information relating to safeguarding, Employers’ Liability Insurance, health and safety and risk assessment arrangements. Where required, supporting documentation will also need to be uploaded through Unifrog.

Step 3 – Parent/Carer
Once the employer has completed their section, Unifrog will email the student’s parent/carer. They will be asked to review the placement information and provide their consent/authorisation.

Step 4 – School Approval
The school will review the information provided to ensure that the necessary requirements have been met. A placement is not fully approved until all stages of the Unifrog process have been completed and the school has confirmed the placement.

Students should regularly check their Unifrog account and follow up with their employer or parent/carer if any part of the process remains incomplete.

Need help? The Careers Team will support students throughout the process. If students experience any difficulties entering their placement details or are unsure what they need to do, they should speak to a member of the Careers Team in school.

Step-by-step guide: Click here for instructions on how to upload your employer’s details to Unifrog.

---

Work Experience Prep

All Year 10 students will take part in dedicated work experience preparation sessions in school before beginning their placement.

These sessions are designed to ensure that students feel confident, prepared and ready to make the most of their experience in the workplace. Through a range of practical activities and discussions, students will explore what employers expect of them and how they can approach their placement positively and professionally.

Preparation sessions will cover:

• Preparing for the workplace – including what to expect, appropriate dress, punctuality, communication and professional behaviour.
• Making the most of the experience – how to ask questions, show initiative, build positive working relationships and make the most of opportunities to learn.
• Developing employability skills – recognising and developing important skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, resilience and organisation.
• Health and safety – understanding their responsibilities in the workplace and following essential health and safety procedures.
• Safeguarding and wellbeing – knowing how to stay safe, who to speak to and what to do if they feel uncomfortable or have any concerns during their placement.

Our aim is for every student to begin their work experience placement with the knowledge, confidence and skills needed to have a safe, positive and valuable experience.

---

During the Work Experience Placement

Throughout their work experience placement, all students are required to complete a daily reflection log using Unifrog. Students should complete this at the end of each working day while their experiences are still fresh in their minds.

The reflection log encourages students to think about the tasks they have completed, the skills they have developed, what they have learned and any achievements or challenges they have experienced.

These reflections will provide a valuable record of their work experience and will support students when they return in Year 11, particularly when preparing CVs, personal statements and Post-16 applications.

Absence or Lateness

Students are expected to attend their work experience placement every day and arrive on time, just as they would be expected to do in the workplace.

If a student is going to be absent or late for any reason, they must contact both their employer and the school by telephone as soon as possible. Parents/carers should support students in ensuring that the appropriate contact is made.

If a work experience placement is closed or unable to accommodate the student on a particular day, the student must attend school as normal.

Issues, Concerns or Safeguarding

We want every student to have a safe, positive and valuable work experience placement.

If a student experiences any difficulties, concerns or safeguarding issues during their placement, they should speak to an appropriate member of staff at their workplace where they feel comfortable doing so and inform their parent/carer.

Parents/carers should contact the school as soon as possible so that we can provide appropriate support and take any necessary action. Students should never feel that they have to remain in a situation where they feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

Digital Reflection Log via Unifrog

At the end of the work experience placement, employers will receive an email via Unifrog asking them to provide feedback on the student.

This feedback is an important part of the work experience programme. It gives students an opportunity to understand their strengths, recognise the employability skills they have demonstrated and identify areas for further development.

Students will be encouraged to reflect on their employer feedback and use it to support their future career planning, CV development and Post-16 applications.