Careers Plan – Year 10 (2026-27)
YEAR 10 CAREERS AIM: In Year 10 careers education, students develop their self-presentation skills and their understanding of what employers want.
RATIONALE: This year builds on the work in Key Stage 3, but rather than exploring the world of work as a concept, moves on to more practical considerations of how students can prepare to present themselves effectively to employers, apprenticeship providers, sixth forms and further education providers.
Term 1
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: My Careers Readiness
The focus of this term’s careers sessions is helping Year 10 students to reflect on what they do and don’t know about their post-16 options. They will complete a careers-readiness survey (the FSQ), and boost their careers vocabulary, ensuring they are familiar with the terms that will be used throughout their GCSE years as they prepare to make applications in Year 11.
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Term 2
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Experience of a Workplace
This is our fourth annual Civil Service Challenge!
Year 10 students will be set a challenge that will allow them to explore the different departments within the civil service and also help them to understand how it supports democracy and British Values. They will work in groups and present their proposals to their peers; deciding on the finalists that will be sent to 10 judges from the Department of Work and Pensions.
The winning team will win £10 Amazon vouchers! In an assembly at the end of the four-week challenge, they will learn about the different entry routes into the civil service, including apprenticeships and graduate schemes.
This event supports Wrotham School in fulfilling its statutory obligations under Provider Access Legislation (2023)
After this challenge, students will start to plan their summer 3-day work experience placements, reflecting on experiences they’ve had so far in their school careers.
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Term 3
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Communicating with Employers
This term, Year 10 students will focus on how to reach out to employers and secure work experience. A local employer will introduce them to the purpose of a CV and they will have sessions in a computer room to write their first CV, including achievements from their Year 9 work experience as well as last term’s employer challenge.
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Term 4
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Communicating with Employers
This term will focus on preparing Year 10 for the Careers Fair. In careers sessions, they will look at ‘competency-based’ interview questions and how to answer them using the STAR format. During the careers fair – as well as asking about opportunities – they will be encouraged to ask employers how these questions are used in interviews and what they are looking for in candidates.
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Term 5
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Understanding Recruitment
In this term’s careers sessions, Year 10 students learn about different digital tools that are used in recruitment and interview practices, especially following the impact of the pandemic. This includes online application (and ATS), aptitude tests, situational judgement tests, and online assessment centres/group interviews.
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Term 6
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Work Experience
This term’s focus is on work experience for Year 10. They will be supported in their preparation, understanding of workplace expectations, and in their reflections they will learn how to write about their achievements following the CAR format (Challenge, Action, Result) that will be added to their CVs in reflection sessions after their placements.
Continue reading → - EXPERIENCE OF THE WORKPLACE: Work Placement
Work Placement Day is in Term 6 and offers our students in Year 10 the opportunity to get real experience of a workplace. In Term 6, they take part in sessions designed to help them prepare and then reflect on their three-day placement.
Students can undertake placements with family members or apply for placements independently, but they are all encouraged to be pro-active in deciding what they would like to personally get out of the experience and how they can use it to get more insight into their personal career journey and next steps.
A small number of students who are unable to take part will be in school, taking part in an employer-led challenge.
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