Secondary school work experience toolkit for employers

How long are placements? We recommend a week long, in-person working experience. While many of us work hybrid, the interactions and professional environment of the workplace are important aspects of work experience. Shorter placements (ie three days) are also valuable.

When to host? Many schools like to host placements in the summer term (June/ July) or the Autumn term (November), but discuss with your contact teacher when works best for them.

How old are students? We recommend offering placements to year 12 students who are aged 16 – 17 years old. 

Is there a cost? If you can, we suggest you offer a small bursary to students to help with travel and subsistence costs (In the region of £100 per week). Costs may be a barrier to participation, especially if students are losing hours worked in part time jobs.

How long do I need to organise?

We recommend 3-4 months to organise placements depending on your circumstance, a rough guide below:

Month 1	Check-in with your HR team Create a rough schedule
Month 2	Make contact with the Career’s Lead at a school Share the opportunity Speak with the teacher (use our discussion guide if useful) Share risk assessment and safeguarding information with the teacher
Month 3	School identifies the student(s) Send a confirmation email with information for the student Offer a meeting as an opportunity to ask questions
Month 4	Finalise your timetable Welcome student(s)

 

 

Speak with your HR team and check your capacity to host considering the following: 

• A good quality placement needs someone to support students, offers a variety of experiences and has opportunities to meet with a range of staff.
• You’ll need ideally one point of contact who can organise placements and be on site to support students.
• Schools usually prefer a summer (June/July) or autumn (October/ November) placement but this may vary from school to school.
• Students may like to have a peer while on placement so consider your capacity to offer more than one placement at a time. Often they can support each other and it may actually make your planning easier.
• Where possible, offer a bursary to young people to help them with travel and lunch costs. This is particularly important to reduce barriers to access. Ask the school about this, we recommend £100 for the week.
• Ensure that you have appropriate safeguarding in place for someone under 18 in your building. You can check our safeguarding section of this resource for more information or click here to have a look at government guidance. 

Create a rough schedule

• Use our timetabling example to start planning some ideas for what students can do during their time with you.
• Think about what events taking place within your organisation that may affect colleague’s capacity to support the placement – or those which students might enjoy.

Identify a work experience co-ordinator

You will need a designated point of contact to be the work experience co-ordinater: preparing the students’ timetable, organising the visit and to be a point of contact for students while they are with you.

In advance

1. Plan and oversee the students’ schedule for the week. Liaise with staff members to make sure they are all onboard.
2. The work experience supervisor should have an enhanced DBS check so get this completed as soon as possible if you do not already have one. Allow a minimum of four weeks for this to be processed. DBS checks are valid for three years.
3. Read about DBS check here Request a basic DBS check - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
4. Share safeguarding guidance with everyone in your organisation who will come into contact with students and remind them students are under 18 years old.
5. Organise IT and access to the building for students, with access to a computer. If they need to bring their own computer, let the teacher and student know in good time.

Make contact with a school

• Find a secondary school or college, ideally within a few miles.
• Rather than choosing somewhere you already have a contact, challenge yourselves to find a school who may be in a more economically deprived location.
• Call reception to start and/ or find the email address for the Head of Careers. Email addresses for the Head of Careers are sometimes available on the school website.
• School staff are busy. Don’t take it personally if they take time to respond need chasing up. 

Share the opportunity

• Make contact with the school and clarify dates (ideally at least three months in advance of your proposed dates to allow plenty of planning time).
• Once you’ve found the right staff member, liaise with them to find students to take part. You can be specific with this and say you’d ideally like to host young people currently underrepresented within Chartered Planning, ie. students of Asian, Black African and Caribbean heritage , or young people who may be in receipt of free school meals.
• Be loose on what students might currently be studying. Geography is a subject that does to have a racially diverse  student body so ideally cast a wider net to all interested students.
• Speak with the teacher about any risk assessments or safeguarding paperwork you may need to complete for them.
• Use our checklist for things to discuss with the teacher, which you can find (insert link?) 

School identifies the students

• Give the teacher some time to speak with students and find someone. You might even like to visit the school in person to meet with staff and students, to tell them about the opportunity and answer questions.
• Set a deadline for the teacher to share the names of students with you.

• Once students have been found, send a confirmation and welcome email with all the information the young person might need to know: address, point of contact, emergency contact number, start and end times of the day, dress code etc. (consider that many young people may not have access to formal work clothes – or the funds to purchase), so be mindful of this when setting expectations.
• Include the teacher in all communications.
• If you are offering a bursary, aim to make this available the week before the placement starts to help with any travel and food costs.
• Ask if any students have any access or learning needs you should be aware of or may need to accommodate.
• If possible, meet with the student(s) a week or two before they come, either virtually or in person. This will need to be organised and attended by the teacher. This will give you a chance to find out more about the students; what they are studying, what they hope to gain from the placement. It will also help to ease any concerns that the student might have by giving them the opportunity to ask questions and get   some key information such as how to find the building, or where to go when they arrive. You could even give them a virtual tour of your office so they know what to expect. 

Remember that for most students this will be their first ever experience of work and it will be a totally new environment for them. They may be nervous, uncertain or unsure of the unwritten codes of conduct. Your role is to help guide them.

Ultimately, all young people should leave their placement with positive feelings about what they’ve done.

1. Welcome students each morning and brief them on the day ahead. Similarly, meet with them at the end of each day for a debrief about what they’ve done, who they’ve met and anything they’ve learned.
2. Make sure students are aware of where they need to be and at what time.
3. Ensure students know where they can find you during the day, in case they have any questions.
4. If they are out of the office visiting sites, make sure they’re accompanied, or ensure they are able to travel there easily. Consider if travel to a site will incur extra expense for the student.
5. Give students clear guidelines around what they can and cannot do and anything they need to know in relation to your risk assessment or insurance eg. can they leave the site or do they need to stay within it?
6. Give students clear guidance around the professional behaviour you expect to see: for example are students expected to work silently in certain areas? Are breaks taken at specific times? What might they do during their breaktimes? Should mobile phones be out of sight at all times? Be clear about your expectations from the outset.
7. Remember you are the students’ advocate while they are on placement. Through naivety some students may fall short of the standards you wish to see. Part of your role will be to help guide them and develop their employability skills.
8. If a student seems disengaged during the placement, take time to talk through why. Is there any flexibility within your schedule for them to pursue any particular interests

Giving Feedback 

Honest, positively framed feedback is at the heart of any successful placement.  The next section looks at how to give students feedback. 

Manage expectations

We want all students to leave the placement having had a positive work experience, with a greater understanding of the workplace and feeling excited about the world of work. The key to a positive placement is being as clear and open as possible about the expectations you have for students.

If you are clear about the behaviour you want to see, then you set clear parameters for students to feel safe in. Explain that you hope they will show an interest in the organisation and the industry and make the most of the opportunity; demonstrate a willingness to learn; respect the values of your organisation; and abide by the rules.

Give regular feedback throughout the placement and check in with colleagues. Frame feedback within the employability skills listed above where possible. With all feedback – whether it is praise or constructive feedback for improvements, keep it clearly focussed and positive.

Praise

Praise often and be specific about what students have done well. Wherever you see a student doing something good, tell them! Even seemingly small things; arriving on time, communicating clearly, a welcoming attitude or being prepared for the day ahead, are really positive behaviours to notice.

Notice and explain where you see students developing and using their employability skills, too (see skills listed above). Notice their progress throughout the week and be as specific as you can with your praise.

Eg. “I was really pleased to see you working so well together as a team today. I saw really good listening and collaboration. I can see your confidence in expressing your ideas is growing. Well done!”

Constructive feedback 

Where there are areas for improvement, be clear about your expectations going forward. If students’ behaviour is not meeting your expectations, then communicate this as quickly, clearly and transparently as possible. Follow this process:

1.       Make your expectations really clear.
2.       Explain the behaviour change you want to see and why.
3.       Offer support to help that behaviour change where possible.
4.       If the problem persists and is a significant issue despite your support, then get in touch with the contact teacher. It is their role to meet with the student and if necessary, end the placement.

Eg. “I’m really sorry to see you have arrived late again today. You need to be at your desk by 9.30am as that’s the start time for everyone.

It’s so important to the company that everyone arrives promptly as it means we can start the day on time at our briefing. It also sends out a positive message that you are enthusiastic and prepared.

Can you tell me what’s causing the lateness and how can we help to make sure you’re on time tomorrow?”

 

Take time to build a timetable for young people which helps showcase Chartered Planning and your organisation, at its best. Variety and pace are great ingredients for a positive week.

Ideally it is good for students to engage with a range of staff; from new starters, to the CEO(!) and across the breadth of your organisation, so they understand the ‘big picture’ of your organisation and how Chartered Planning works alongside other professions and roles.

This resource also contains a range of resources and activities that students  an do throughout the course of the week. 

 

	Morning	Afternoon
Day 1	Morning briefing with supervisor Share employability skills framework  Discuss expectations and the plan for the week Induction: meet key people at the company Ice-breaker activities with the team Introduce any specific tasks for the placement	Shadow an apprentice or graduate (two hours maximum for shadowing) Meet and ‘interview’ a more senior colleague Look through the independent project  De-brief with supervisor and complete employability skills framework
Day 2	Morning briefing with supervisor Join a  meeting ‘Awe walk’ experience of your local area.	Work on an ongoing task or independent project Interview with senior colleagues De-brief with supervisor and complete employability skills framework
Day 3	Morning briefing with supervisor Work on an ongoing task Shadow a colleague (max two hours) Work on independent project	Site visit De-brief with supervisor and complete employability skills framework
Day 4	Morning briefing Observe public consultation Mock interview or interview with HR to discuss application and interview skills	Support with presentation skills for the independent project presentation Work on independent project De-brief with supervisor and complete employability skills framework
Day 5	Morning briefing with supervisor Attend meeting Interview with senior colleagues Prepare and rehearse presentation with supervisor	Students present their project findings to the company Complete evaluation survey on their placement Final de-brief with supervisor and complete employability skills framework

 

 

Everyone is entitled to work and thrive in an enjoyable and safe environment. While they are on your premises, students must be under the highest possible standards of care and safety. Here we provide general safeguarding guidance, but you should discuss safeguarding with the contact teacher and HR staff. Share relevant safeguarding information with any staff who will be working with the students.

• Request your HR contact runs a risk assessment of the workplace for a young person (under 18 years old). 
• Ask the school contact teacher about any safeguarding precautions they would like you to take.
• Create an agreed set of safeguarding guidelines to circulate with all relevant staff who are likely to come into contact with the students and ensure they are aware a young person under 18 years old will be on site.

Some general principles for safeguarding young people are compiled below:

• All work experience supervisors should complete an Enhanced DBS check. Read more about DBS checks here Request a basic DBS check - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• No worker should swap contact details directly with a young person.
• No worker should connect on social media with a young person.
• Avoid situations where one worker and one student are alone together in a room. Have another adult present and keep the door open.
• Do not take any photos of young people, unless you have asked permission from the young person themselves and that has been confirmed in writing.
• If young people are joining team meetings virtually from a computer, there should always be two adults on the call. Use your work email address to join and not a personal email address.
• Workers must respect the rights and dignity and worth of all and treat everyone with equality.
• Always give enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.
• Recognise that all young people will have different strengths and the developmental needs and capacity of the young person.
• If you have any safeguarding concerns (worries about a young person’s safety or wellbeing) always contact the teacher, or ask to speak with the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, immediately.

You can learn a bit more about safeguarding be reading the government's Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. 

The RTPI has developed a bank of student- facing resources which you can find here

Project

The project is designed so that students can access tasks independently and can work on them throughout the week. They are guided to:

1. Find a place they know which they’d like to improve through planning.
2. Research three themes; sustainability, housing and communities and how they related to Chartered Planning.
3. Develop a plan to improve an area they know.
4. Present their plans.

Students can work on their projects at any time during the week. They can focus on one theme (sustainability, communities or housing) or all three, depending on how much time they have.

While they can work independently, students may benefit from your guidance and advice along the way, or from speaking to experts in any of the three themes.

Employability skills diary

Students can use this resource to record the key employability skills that they both develop and explore over the course of their placement. Download an interactive PDF version of the diary. 

Interviewing Colleagues 

While you’re on placement try and speak to as many people as possible about their career paths and find out what you can. Here are some questions to get started:

1.       Can you explain your job in a few sentences?
2.       If you do your job well, what happens?
3.       If you didn’t do your job well what might happen?
4.       What do you like most about your job?
5.       What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
6.       What motivates you most in your role?
7.       If you didn’t do this job, what would you do?
8.       What did you enjoy at school?
9.       What were you like at school?
10.   What piece of advice did you wish someone had given you when you were making your career choices?
11.   When you’re hiring someone for a job, what do you look for?
12.   Where do you think the big opportunities are for placemaking in the next ten years?
13.   If I wanted to do your job, what should I study or do next? 

You can download the interview sheet here. 

Awe Walk

Take a break from the office to take students on an ‘awe walk’. At 16 –18 years, many students may not have considered the built environment and the way in which various decisions have contributed to the current urban environment.

The key takeaway from your walk should be that nothing in our built environment appears by chance! It is the impact of an area’s history, previous and current planning policy, politics, design, finances, geographical local and social factors (among many others).

Choose a few of the themes from below to focus on during your walk.

1. Master Planning

• Neighbourhood Layout: Observe how different areas are organized. Are residential, commercial, and industrial areas separated or integrated? Look for parks, community gardens, and green spaces. These spaces are often included in master plans to promote public health and environmental sustainability.
• How it feels: Overall, does the place feel like somewhere enjoyable to spend time in? Who for? Why?

2. Architecture

• Building Styles: Notice the architectural styles of buildings. Look for a mix of historical and modern designs, indicating how planning has preserved heritage while allowing for contemporary development.
• How it feels: Which streets look and feel good, and which don’t? Explore why.

3. Housing

• Diverse Housing: Notice the variety of housing, such as single-family homes, flats and social housing. This diversity often results from planning policies aimed at providing housing for different income levels.
• The impact: What’s the level of housing affordability in the area? How easy is it for someone on an average income to buy a home here? What are the social implications for the area?

4. Traffic Planning

• Public Transport Facilities: Notice speed bumps, pedestrian crossings, bus stops, train stations, or tram lines. Their placement is carefully planned to provide accessibility and reduce car dependency.
• How it feels: Does it feel as though pedestrians are better catered for, or cars?

5. Sustainability

• Energy-Efficient Buildings: Look for features like solar panels, green roofs, or energy-efficient windows. These are signs of planning regulations encouraging sustainability.
• Impact: what might be the longer-term impact of this?

6. Retail and Office Buildings

• Mixed-Use Developments: Identify buildings that combine retail, office, and residential spaces. These developments are often planned to reduce travel distances and promote vibrant communities.
• Pedestrian-Friendly Design: Look for wide pavements, shop fronts that engage with the street, and squares or public areas that invite gathering.
• How it feels: Are there many empty shops or offices? Have empty shops and buildings been repurposed? How does that affect the feel of the area?

7. Heritage Sites

• Preservation Efforts: Look for older buildings, monuments, or historical sites. Planning often preserves these landmarks, integrating them into the modern urban landscape. Have any old buildings have been repurposed for new uses? This is a strategy used in planning to preserve history while meeting current needs.
• Impact: How do historical elements impact on the identity of an area?

8. Public Engagement and Planning Information

• Planning Notices and Signs: Look for signs or notices about upcoming developments, rezoning, or public consultations. These are indications of public involvement in the planning process.
• How it feels: Do you feel connected to decisions about your local area?

Other Activity ideas

Schedule ‘real’ tasks – the kind of tasks they could expect to take part in as a new starter (postgraduate or school leaver) in role. Wherever possible link these tasks to live projects and explain the context of the task.

In addition, find opportunities for students to gain insights into aspirational jobs they could work towards over time. Some examples are listed below:

1. Replicate a mini employee induction. Introduce the company and its values, expectations for the week and any important health and safety considerations.
2. Students observe a Director’s meeting.
3. Students could carry due diligence research e.g. research a site, area or risk to a proposed development.
4. Observe or take part in team meetings (have a pre- briefing to explain the context and things to listen out for, as well as a debrief to make sense of what happened).
5. Join and contribute to an ideation meeting; for example how to encourage community engagement and community consultations.
6. Use the placement as an opportunity for some team building tasks and activities for your whole team that develop employability skills like team work, creativity or problem-solving. The students might even have some good team-building activities they could be run!
7. Shadow and support employees from different teams. Keep shadowing opportunities short and focussed (e.g. two hours in which they join a meeting or support with a specific task).Their time to spent as actively as possible rather than just observing.
8. Site visits (preferably in person) or virtually. Discuss site visits with the contact teacher in advance to ensure that travel, expenses and safeguarding considerations have been thought through.
9. Invite to observe public consultations 
10. Observe a job interview taking place and/ or the process of selecting candidates.
11. If students would like, you could offer them a mini mock interview (use constructive feedback and praise).
12. Your organisation may have simulated activities you’ve used with school groups in the past. These can be a great way to give students a helicopter perspective of the industry if you have them.