Year 10 were given the opportunity to go out on valuable work experience placements last week, giving them an insight into the world of work and helping them to consider their future career pathways. 

80 students found their own placements; 11 students visited Captiva Homes' Three Oaks development; 22 went to a career day at BAE Systems in Cowes and 3 students visited Platform One. 

A great example of one student who found their own placement is Ethan, who went to work with his Dad at Essex Fire and Rescue. He got to experience all areas of the fire service and even take part in some practice drills!

11 students visited Captiva Homes at the Three Oaks development site. After being issued PPE, they were given a tour of the site and then were able to take part in a range of taster activities. Ms James particularly enjoyed the opportunity to have a go in a forklift! Thank you to everyone at Captiva Homes for giving our students this exciting experience. The students came back to school so enthusiastic about the visit. Here are some of their comments:

"The team was really welcoming and made us feel part of the crew. We wore hi-vis jackets and hard hats for safety, which made it feel like a real site experience.We got to try out things like brick laying, electrical work, plasterboarding, and even saw how scaffolding works. I also got to have a go at driving a forklift (with help), which was one of the best parts."

"It was really eye-opening to see all of the jobs going on there. I would like to work somewhere like this in the future. It was a really good day."

"I would like to come back in the summer and am considering taking an apprenticeship in construction."

"We all really enjoyed this visit and came away with lots of valuable knowledge to help us decide what we want to do when we leave school. Personally, this has helped me a lot because I was torn between a few different career paths and now I have managed to narrow that decision down to just two."

The students who visited BAE Systems took part in team building exercises, had tours of radar workshops and testing facilities, and had meet and greet sessions with various BAE staff. They also explored neurodiversity in the workplace, and a group of students from Medina won a naming competition for BAE's next generation radar systems! Students were really well behaved and engaged throughout the day in a variety of tasks.

Student, Kamil, said "I found the experience great. They taught us workplace skills and it was really fun. We practised our public speaking and social communication skills with us having to pitch a name for the radar they are currently making."