What are good work experience ideas for Year 10?

The placements Year 10 students most often get are independent shops and cafés, primary schools and nurseries, vets and animal rescue centres, trades and workshops, small offices such as estate agents or accountants, pharmacies and dental practices, charity shops, libraries and sports clubs. Small local employers say yes far more often than large national ones.

How many hours can a 14 or 15 year old work in the UK?

For paid work, 13 to 14 year olds can work up to 5 hours a day and 25 hours a week in school holidays, and 15 to 16 year olds up to 8 hours a day and 35 hours a week. In term time the limit is 12 hours a week, never during school hours, never before 7am or after 7pm, and a council work permit is usually required. Local byelaws vary, so check your council. A school-arranged placement is not employment.

How do I ask a company for work experience?

Send under 150 words to a named person: who you are, your school and year, the exact dates, one specific reason for choosing them, an offer to do any useful task, and confirmation that school provides the paperwork and insurance. Follow up once after a week.

Does virtual work experience count?

It depends on your school, so ask your careers lead first. Many schools accept structured virtual programmes from employers or universities and record them as an experience of a workplace. Save the certificate or confirmation email.

Work Experience Ideas for Year 10 and 11 (UK Guide)

Q: Is work experience compulsory in Year 10?

No. The statutory duty on schools in England to arrange work-related learning at Key Stage 4 was removed in 2012. Many schools still run a placement week, and the Gatsby Benchmarks expect at least one meaningful experience of a workplace by the end of Year 11 and another by the end of Year 13.

By Kim Loudon · 7 September 2026 · 11 min read · Category: For Teens

The Year 10 placements that actually happen are with small local employers: independent shops and cafés, primary schools and nurseries, vets, trades and workshops, small offices, pharmacies, charity shops, libraries and sports clubs. Work experience is not compulsory in England, but most schools still run a week in Year 10 or 11.

Is work experience compulsory in Year 10?

No. The duty on schools in England to provide work-related learning at Key Stage 4 was removed in 2012. The Gatsby Benchmarks that guide careers provision expect every student to have at least one meaningful experience of a workplace by the end of Year 11 and another by the end of Year 13. Ask your careers lead for the dates, the deadline and what the employer has to sign.

Placement ideas by sector

Retail and hospitality: independent shops, cafés, garden centres, bakeries, farm shops. Primary schools and nurseries: classroom support and reading help. Vets, kennels and animal rescue: heavily oversubscribed, ask early and ask small. Trades and workshops: joinery, garages, salons, print shops, bike shops. Offices: estate agents, accountants, solicitors, architects, marketing agencies. Health and care: pharmacies, dentists, physio clinics, care homes. Charities and community: charity shops, food banks, libraries, sports clubs, museums. Family and friends' workplaces, which is where most placements actually come from.

What 14, 15 and 16 year olds are allowed to do

A school-arranged placement is not employment and runs under the school's arrangements, the employer's risk assessment and their insurance. Paid work is separate: 13 is the general minimum age, term-time work is capped at 12 hours a week with no work before 7am, after 7pm or during school hours, holiday limits are 5 hours a day and 25 hours a week for 13-14 year olds and 8 hours a day and 35 hours a week for 15-16 year olds, and a council work permit is usually required. Local byelaws vary, so check GOV.UK child employment and your council.

How to ask so you get a yes

Find a named person, put the exact dates in the first two lines, give one honest reason for choosing them, offer to do any useful task, mention that school provides forms and insurance, and follow up once after a week. Ask family and neighbours too.

If nothing comes back

This is common and not a reflection on you. Options: a structured virtual programme, volunteering with a charity or club, several half-day shadowing visits, or running your own enterprise project like a job with a written record. Being straight about the last one: We Can Be is not an employer and a self-run project is not a work experience placement. It gives you a certificate of completion and real evidence of initiative, pricing and customer contact for CVs and applications, but it is not automatically approved by your school, does not by itself meet Gatsby Benchmark 6, and does not automatically count towards a DofE section. Agree it with your careers lead or DofE leader in advance and keep a dated log.

How to make it count afterwards

On the last day write down the tasks you did, what you were trusted with, what was hard, and one thing you now know you do not want to do. That paragraph is what a CV, application or personal statement needs later.