Work experience in Year 10: how to find a placement that says yes

What Year 10 work experience is, and when it happens

Work experience in Year 10 is usually one week away from lessons, spent at a real workplace. Most schools run it in the spring or summer term, and your school sets the dates. Your school’s careers lead or the letter home will tell you when yours is.

It isn’t a legal requirement. Each school decides whether to run it and how. It’s also unpaid: you’re there to learn, not to work a job. Some schools find placements for you. Many ask you to find your own, and that’s where it gets hard.

Why it’s hard to find a placement at 14

Lots of companies say no to under 16s. Some think it means extra paperwork and someone to watch you all day. Big employers often only take students through their own schemes, and those fill up fast. So you email ten shops and offices and hear nothing back. That’s normal, and it isn’t about you.

Volunteering can count, and it’s easier to get

Many schools accept a volunteering placement as work experience. Charities and community groups say yes to 14 year olds far more often than companies do, because helping people learn is often part of what they’re there for.

Places that often take Year 10 students:

• charity shops
• food banks
• community gardens and city farms
• youth clubs and holiday clubs
• libraries
• animal rescues
• local sports clubs
• community events and fun runs

Check with your school first. Every school has its own rules. Most will want:

• the name of the person who will look after you
• start and end dates
• a health and safety check (the organisation or your school usually does this)
• a record of your hours at the end

Ask your careers lead what they need before you say yes to a placement. The Health and Safety Executive explains what organisations should do in its guidance on work experience.

Find Year 10 work experience near you

Search volunteering placements near you by place, cause and skill. Every role shows the organisation behind it, so you and your parents can see who you’d be working with. Not every role is open to under 16s, so if the listing doesn’t say, ask the organisation before you apply. If travel is the problem, remote roles can be done from home.

Work experience ideas by what you want to do

• Helping people. Food banks, lunch clubs, holiday clubs. See community support and homelessness and poverty.
• Animals. Rescue centres, city farms, wildlife groups. See animal welfare.
• Outdoors. Parks, gardens, litter picks, tree planting. See environment.
• Sport. Junior coaching, match days, fun runs. See sports and recreation.
• Creative. Theatres, museums, arts festivals. See arts and culture.
• Teaching and kids. Reading clubs, libraries, homework clubs. See education.
• Digital. Social media, websites and photos for a small charity. See digital skills.

Not sure yet? Pick the skill you want to build. Teamwork and communication are the two most employers ask about.

How to ask, and what to write

Keep your email short. Here’s one you can copy and change:

Subject: Year 10 work experience, week of [date]

Hello [name],

I’m in Year 10 at [school] and I’m looking for a work experience placement from [start date] to [end date]. I’d love to help at [organisation] because [one real reason]. My school can send the paperwork you need. Could I come for that week, or for a few days?

Thank you,
[your name], [phone or parent’s email]

If you phone instead, say three things: who you are and your school, the dates, and that your school will handle the forms. Then ask who you should email.

If they ask for a CV, a short one is fine. Here’s what the most useful part can look like:

What I’ve done
Helped at my school’s open evening, showing families around. Look after my neighbour’s dog twice a week. Member of the school football team.

What I’m good at
Talking to new people, turning up on time, working in a team.

No paid jobs yet is fine. Nobody expects them at 14.

During the week, and how to prove it afterwards

Keep a short log each day: what you did, who you helped, what you learned. Ask your supervisor to sign it on the last day. Your school will want this.

On Vinspired, the experience log does this for you. You log your hours, and the organisation confirms them. Confirmed hours count towards certificates and skill badges, and they sit in your skills passport. You can share it with your school now, and use it on a CV, a college form or UCAS later. Found your placement somewhere else? You can still add volunteering you did elsewhere, with a referee who confirms it.

For parents

Three things to check before your child starts: who will supervise them, what the organisation’s safeguarding arrangements are, and whether travel or lunch costs anything. A good organisation answers all three quickly. Read how Vinspired works for volunteers to see what your child’s record will show.

For schools and careers leads

Vinspired can run work experience and volunteering for a whole year group, with every hour confirmed by the organisation and visible to you. It also helps with evidence for Gatsby benchmark 6: see the Gatsby evidence guide. Read more for colleges and schools, or book a call.

Questions

When is work experience in Year 10?

Usually one week in the spring or summer term. Your school sets the dates, so check with your careers lead.

Is Year 10 work experience mandatory?

No. It isn’t a legal requirement. Your school decides whether to run it.

Do you get paid for work experience in Year 10?

No. School work experience is unpaid.

How long is Year 10 work experience?

Most schools set one week. Some set two, and some let you do a few days spread over a term.

Where can I do work experience in Year 10?

Anywhere your school agrees to. Charities, community groups, libraries and sports clubs say yes to 14 year olds more often than companies do.

How do I find Year 10 work experience near me?

Search volunteering roles near you, ask family and friends who they know, and email local organisations directly. Start early: places fill up weeks before the date.

How do I apply for Year 10 work experience?

Send a short email with your school, your dates and why you want to help there. Your school sends the forms once they say yes.

Does volunteering count as work experience?

At many schools, yes. Check with your school before you agree to a placement, and keep a record of your hours.