Work Experience

1.Our Aim: We aim to equip students with the skills and knowledge required to make informed personal decisions regarding career progression. Through work experience, students discover what working in a particular role is like, enhance their knowledge, and apply it to school subjects. They also gain essential real-life experience highly sought after by employers.

2. History and Growth: Work experience became a part of The Courtyard curriculum in September 2015. Since then, students have participated in various placements based on their needs, abilities, and future career goals. Each year, we extend our offer of work experience placements and secure new opportunities for our students, aiming to personalise placements as much as possible.

3. Main Characteristics of Work Experience:

  • Personalised Experience: Work experience is tailored to the needs of each student. It is offered to all students in Year 11 and the Sixth Form. At the beginning of the year, students will create their vocational profiles and have 1:1 career sessions with a careers advisor. This helps personalise career planning and development by identifying their interests, skills, strengths, and aspirations.

  • Placement Frequency: All students will do at least one placement a year, depending on their qualifications. Work experience occurs once a week for one to two hours over six consecutive weeks, but there is no end date if both the student and employer are happy.

  • Flexible Formats: Students can do group or individual placements, which can be virtual, in person, or a combination of both. Some students go independently to their work placements, while others are accompanied by a member of staff.

  • Work Experience Log Booklet: Each student will have a work experience log booklet to complete entries before, during, and after their work experience. Students will set goals for themselves, reflect on their thoughts before and after, and capture what they discover about themselves every time.

  • Diverse Job Roles: Students have the chance to try out a variety of job roles, discovering their likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses.

  • Confidence Building: Work experience helps increase self-confidence and provides an opportunity to demonstrate abilities.

  • Real-World Insight: Students gain an authentic insight into the world of work and the expectations of employers, building awareness of transferable skills, knowledge, and experience.

  • CV Enhancement: Students gain recent employment history to add to their CV, giving them the confidence, skills, and determination to take the next steps on their career path.

4. Employer Training and Internships: Since founding the Outreach initiative LNN (London Neurodiversity Network), The Courtyard has been delivering training to employers to help them understand the benefits of neurodiversity. We have helped many employers become neurodiversity-friendly. As a result, former and current Sixth Form students have been offered paid internships by some of these companies. This is a significant achievement as our young people are performing exceptionally well.