The Wonders Of Work Experience

o support our Year 12 students in their future planning, they benefit from a dedicated Work Experience Week. Students are responsible for arranging their own placement, with support from our Sixth Form team. The insight gained from Work Experience Week, and the feedback received from the employers our students work with, are extremely valuable in helping students to to identify and refine their career aspirations and future vocational pathways.

Last year’s placements spanned Architecture, Business, Charity, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Film, Finance, Law, Marketing, Medicine, Music, Politics, Research, Sport, Technology, Veterinary, and our A Level Spanish students made the most of their language immersion opportunities in work experience out in Alicante, where they worked in playgroups/nurseries, a food bank, tech repair shop, florist, climbing wall and a hostel.

With Year 12’s Work Experience Week 2026 starting straight after Half Term (23 February), and Year 12 A Level linguists heading to Germany and Spain for theirs, it seems timely to reflect on some of last year’s stories.  Below are three accounts of the experience our students gained, both at home and abroad.

“I loved every moment of the Spanish work experience trip, working in a hotel for a week positioned me in the midst of tourist hotspot Alicante. From checking in and out the regulars, to pointing the foreign travellers in the right direction of Benidorm, there was truly no shortage of eclectic and worldly people to get to know.  For me, it’s quite difficult to land on a single highlight, as every day told a different story packed with beautiful culture; historical and gastronomical alike. That being said, I really enjoyed listening and speaking in the language whilst also finding my way in the city with my friends, along both the Spanish sunrises and sunsets.”  Varnika

  “The Spanish work experience trip was truly an exceptionally unforgettable experience, offering us the opportunity to improve our Spanish speaking skills in both a work setting and in an everyday life setting. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to explore Alicante during the day before I had to go to work, it was incredible to walk around the markets with all the beautifully fresh produce, to walk around the Old Town, to visit restaurants and try some delicious Spanish dishes and to spend more time with my classmates. My work placement was in a café/nursery and it offered me an abundance of opportunities to utilise my Spanish speaking skills by talking to customers, interacting with the children, holding arts and crafts workshops and talking with my fellow colleagues. It taught me other valuable skills about the importance of communication, organisational skills and problem-solving skills, as there were situations where I didn’t know how to say exactly what I wanted to say, which encouraged me to think of how to utilise the Spanish vocabulary I did know to express what I wanted to say in a different way. These are skills which I believe would serve anyone well in any future career in which they wish to pursue. It was a trip which offered me so much independence, especially as I used public transport to travel to my work placement everyday and it helped me learn so much about my own abilities, as well as helped me develop more. ”  Sofiya

“I really enjoyed my week of work experience – three days in Cheltenham MP Max Wilkinson’s office and two in the Cheltenham Liberal Democrats campaigning office. Spending time with Max’s team taught me a lot about the varied and important job of caseworkers. These are people from many different backgrounds and life experiences, who deal with most of the constituents’ inquiries as well as holding surgeries and facilitating discussions with Max and his constituents. I was lucky enough to be able to sit in on two of these discussions: one involving a group of creatives ranging from photographers to a voice artist about the dangers of AI, and the other with local parents concerned about the impact of social media. 

My time in the campaigning office was equally valuable, the highlight being going canvassing with former Cheltenham MP and current councillor Martin Horwood. It was insightful to learn about his varied career as well as the relationships he builds with the local community. I also learned about the campaign in the lead up to last year’s General Election and the planning and effort that goes into the process, which is much more detailed than I had imagined. 

I was fully involved during the week, tasked with creating a social media report for Max to better engage with young people, making notes in the discussions for the caseworkers, and researching recent AI summits to help Max’s Parliamentary Assistant with his written questions. Most importantly, I perfected my envelope stuffing technique! Overall, the week was an eye-opening experience, giving me a valuable insight into what goes on behind the scenes to run an MP’s office and a local political party – I never knew most of the roles existed.  Personally, the whole experience of what life might be like to work in the political field has made me much more determined to pursue a similar career in the future.”  Ella