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Year 10 Work Experience
Miss Griggs sent this report:
On Monday, 22 January, Year 10 started their Work Experience Placements. Originally launched back in September 2023, the students were excited to finally start the experiences they had prepared and worked hard to organise. It was their responsibility to contact a range of different employers and companies to request an opportunity to complete the placement in their desired field. Students were able to secure placements within the NHS, Finance, Pharmacy, Florists, and more, with the majority of students going back to their primary schools to work as Teaching Assistants for the week. The Year 10 Pastoral Team facilitated students to prepare in the lead up to their experience and helping to identify how they can get the most out of the opportunity.
Our students were great representatives of Invicta and as Head of Year I am incredibly proud of the students’ dedication to securing placements, stepping out of their usual routine and throwing themselves into the opportunity presented to them. From the praise and positivity fed back to us from the companies and employers, I know it was a successful week for all.
Below are some entries from Year 10 students writing about their experiences:
Tijesupemi in 10C wrote:
Last week, Year 10 spent the week completing their work experience. We started this process at the beginning of Year 10 by applying for work experience at an organisation of our choice. There were a wide range of interests explored during this work experience from hotels and small businesses management to the hairdressing industry with the majority of our year choosing to spend their work experience as an assistant in a primary school.
For my work experience, I worked with a civil engineering company, Steadline LTD. I visited some active sites currently being worked on and some that were being prepared for construction. During the week, I worked with many different people at Steadline and learnt a lot about how much work is into a tender (project) before the project can be started on site. I spent my last few days as a qualitative surveyor. This tested my maths skills and my ability to pay attention to details. This role required me to complete a take off. I measured all elements on the scaled diagrams using a scale ruler, recorded them and then priced them. I really enjoyed the week and gained a lot of useful skills from this experience. This was an amazing opportunity that gave us all insight into our future and the working world.
Arlene in 10N worked at Palace Wood Primary School where we received an email from Ms Rehman, Year 6 teacher:
"I just wanted to write in and let you that that it was an absolute pleasure to have Arlene in class with me last week. She worked incredibly hard supporting children in all subjects (especially Maths), was so well mannered and a real role model for my Year 6 students.
It was delight having her in the classroom - like another TA - and was an asset to me. She will definitely be missed. I just wanted to wish her the best of luck with her studies and if she ever needs more work experience or a reference, please let her know I would be happy to help.”
Nicole in 10C received amazing feedback from Hugh Lowe Farm who stated in a letter to her parents that "if all work experience students were like Nicole, we'd have one every month!"
Park Way Primary School were also complimentary about their students when Mrs Revell contacted Miss Griggs with the following: “Just to let you know Ivana and Amy who joined us this week for work experience have been absolutely fantastic! They have both been punctual, proactive, engaging and wonderfully polite. We hope they have enjoyed the experience.”
Trishika, 10V said: “I completed my work experience at a local GP surgery. Throughout the whole week, I shadowed many people in roles such as receptionists, nurses and GPs. I saw how they treated the patients with care and were always friendly, attentive, and understanding towards them. They also made sure to provide the patients with comfortable treatment options. This experience helped me develop the skills needed in the future, such as strong communication, active listening and counselling skills. I think the part I enjoyed the most was the age range of the patients as there were many adorable children and kind elders. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience because I learnt how to be part of a small community and use my initiative to help people with their problems.”
Connie, 10A had this to say about the week: “For my work experience last week I spent my time at a florists in West Malling. During my placement I prepared different flowers by cutting and making sure they were healthy so that they were ready to be on display in the shop. I had the opportunity to prepare bouquets for different customers and complete their orders. I learnt what it’s like to be involved in an independent business and the different sorts of customers that you can encounter. I developed my self confidence and became more independent as I adapted to different situations. I enjoyed this placement as I experienced working as part of a team and learning about the different types of flowers, I felt as though I really suited the environment and formed bonds with the other florists.”
