Dear parent/carer
As part of the career information offered at Workington Academy, Year 10 students will complete a week-long work experience placement. This will run from Monday 29 June until Friday 3 July 2026.
Work experience can have a profound impact upon young people, for some confirming their occupational aspirations, for others it helps them to explore ideas they had not considered and for others it helps rule out careers as unsuitable. Research has also shown that work experience can improve student motivation, develop maturity and enhance their understanding of some of their academic studies.
Students will be offered support within their personal development lessons to write letters of application to employers, construct CVs and develop their interview skills. Students will be shown how to record their placements, once secured, via Unifrog. This paperless system will enable you to provide consent for your child to attend the placement and provide the school with all the required paperwork from the employer. Please refer to the attached document for further information.
All students should be able to access Unifrog using their school email address. This online platform offers students a range of information on jobs and careers, further learning opportunities and supports with applications through CV builders and more. We encourage all parents to explore the platform with students to help with decisions, not only for work experience, but for wider information on the pathways available at key decision-making points, such as at the end of year 11.
As part of our careers programme, we offer opportunities for local employers to speak to students during assemblies. In the next few weeks, we will welcome representatives from Sellafield and the Centre for Leadership Performance team who are offering an additional opportunity on behalf of Sellafield. If you know of any local employers who would be happy to speak to our students, we welcome you to contact so that we can arrange an appropriate time.
We also request your help to support your son/daughter to secure a work placement as this can be an overwhelming time for students as they consider their options. We politely request that students do not attend their previous primary schools or work with close family members to be able to offer the student the most realistic view of the world of work as possible.
Please note the following points:
- There are a number of legal restrictions which apply to this scheme, so some companies do not accept any applicants under the age of 16.
- No financial support is available to assist in covering the costs of transport to and from work experience or for meals.
- It is illegal for employers to pay students on work experience.
- All placements must have employer’s liability insurance.
- Risk assessments must be in place for all work placements.
In order to ensure that the experience runs as smoothly as possible, please be aware of the following key dates:
Prior to Christmas break – All students will be supported on how to contact an employer to request a placement.
Friday 13 February – All placements to be confirmed by students through logging on the Unifrog platform
Monday 29 June – Friday 3 July – Students attend Work Experience placements.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of our careers programme, including the work experience placement, please do not hesitate to call myself or a member of the year 10 team.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs A McAllister
Assistant Headteacher: Sixth Form and Careers Leader
