Secondary Schools & Further Education Programmes

Inspire! is the lead agency in Hackney providing the two-week work placement to which every 14-16 year-old student in the borough is entitled. Work experience plays an important part in helping our young people to prepare for adult life and develop the skills and behaviours they will need in the workplace. In addition, a placement can provide a useful awareness of and insight into a range of employment opportunities that students may previously have been unaware of or might never have considered for themselves.

Every year, Inspire! needs to find 2,000 placements with Hackney and City employers so that students can receive their entitlement – and we additionally seek to provide a range of flexible placements, which may vary in length from one week to one day a week, over several months, to support students with special educational needs, those studying vocational subjects post-16 or young people who are at risk of or may have already dropped out of school or college. Inspire! staff ensure that students are fully prepared by delivering  pre-placement briefings so that students know what is expected of them and are able to make the most of their experience.

There are many benefits that students gain from taking on adult roles and responsibilities in the workplace but there are advantages for a business too. A work experience student may be a useful resource at a busy time, can help boost employees’ motivation and job satisfaction, develop their coaching/leadership skills, provide a new take, from a youth perspective, on a business or product, help a business contribute to improving the local skills base, offer an opportunity for raising corporate profile or help meet community investment/corporate social responsibility objectives.

There is no cost to employers who offer work experience placements. All we ask is that you have relevant insurance and provide a safe and supportive environment. Inspire! will match the business with a suitable student, carry out a health and safety check at the premises and fully brief and support the employer on what is expected during the placement from both parties. Inspire! holds the CEI National Standard for Work Experience Organisers which means that we have met and continue to meet stringent criteria for our work experience provision, so rest assured, your business and our students are in safe hands.

“I enjoyed my work experience. I met new people who told me how hard they had to work to achieve what they have right now. I learned how to communicate well and how to deal with people.” Year 12 student, Cardinal Pole RC School.

“The Inspire! Work Experience staff would always go that extra mile to help me ensure that the service we delivered at the Academy was outstanding.” School Work Experience Co-ordinator.

For further information, contact our Employer Engagement/Work Experience Manager on 020 7275 6060

Inspire! delivers a range of enterprise and employability programmes/activities that support the National Curriculum’s economic wellbeing and financial capability criteria at Key Stage 3 and 4 as well as the QCA Key Stage 3 to 5 Economic Well-Being Framework. They are designed to engender an awareness of the world of work, preparing young people to secure employment and to acquire the ‘soft skills’ that will enable them to make the most of changing opportunities in learning and work. In addition, programmes give young people an understanding of budgeting and finance that will serve them in their future working as well as personal life. Through all our programmes, we encourage students to be enterprising, develop a positive attitude to change, to take reasonable risks and gain the necessary drive to make ideas happen and see tasks through to completion.

Our programmes include:

• Careers Carousel – a half-day where students can meet and quiz a range of volunteers from different professions on their career backgrounds
• Getting PAID – a day of activities focused on the skills and qualities needed to succeed in the workplace, including CV preparation and mock interviews
• Get Ready for Work Experience – preparing students to go out on placement by identifying and practising skills and behaviours required in the workplace
• Enterprise Days – themed around different subjects, students work in teams alongside a business volunteer to develop, cost and present ideas for a campaign, product or event
• Money Matters – personal finance day covering budgeting, earning and saving, using real life scenarios such as balancing the household budget
• Stepping Up – a social enterprise programme that supports students to make a positive change in their local area. Spread over 2-4 days, part of the project is usually hosted at a City company. Past challenges include arranging a tea party at a local elders’ centre, planning and delivering a play activity at a toddler group, and working with primary school children on activities to confront and dispel their fears about moving to secondary school.

“Very rewarding and renewed my faith in the creativity and application from this age group.” Livery Company volunteer at Ani-Mania (creating teenage TV animation series) for Mossbourne Community Academy

“Stepping Up made me care more about my community.” Health and Social Care student, Our Lady’s Convent High School.

“Students were inspired by the training. Teachers have noticed that the students’ team working, communication, confidence and emotional intelligence have improved significantly as a result of the programme.” Head of Enterprise, City Academy

For further information contact our Secondary Team on 020 7275 6060.

Inspire!’s objective is to augment, rather than duplicate the curriculum, and we respond creatively to requests by schools to enhance and support the teaching of academic, applied learning and vocational subjects. Our bespoke curriculum enrichment programmes bring learning to life for students by demonstrating how the topics they study in the classroom are applied in the wider world. In addition, we offer them an insight into the practical day-to-day work and employment opportunities within particular job or industry sector.

Our programmes include:

• Workplace Visits: Class or small group visits to the premises of an employer where students explore the application of a curriculum topic in the workplace. Visits typically include tours, practical activities and tasters, presentations and the chance for students to question employees so that they can see working practices for themselves and experience, first-hand, a workplace environment.

• World of Work Visitors: Inspire! sources business volunteers from a range of sectors to visit classes or small groups of students in school. The volunteer describes their career path and area of work including the skills and qualities needed to be successful. This is typically followed by a practical exercise or challenge to meet curriculum requirements. Such tasks are usually designed by Inspire! following a consultation with the school and volunteer.

Examples of recent work:

Practical Computer Aided Design (CAD) workshops at an architecture company for Construction and the Built Environment Diploma students.

Visit to City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police Training Centre in Hendon to explore the workings of the justice sector for Society, Health and Development Diploma (SHD).

In-school workshops with staff from a leading PR firm to support Creative & Media Diploma students as they planned their own campaigns.

Visit to international law firm to explore how foreign languages are utilised, incorporating an interview role play in the language of study and a video link-up with personnel from the Paris and Madrid offices.

In-school staff recruitment workshop led by a City recruitment agency.

In-school PEST analysis workshop with an entrepreneur from the fashion industry.

Construction Careers Open House programme, funded by the City of London Corporation, offering a range of visits to construction and related companies, supporting Geography students and Construction & the Built Environment Diploma studies.

“A very good educational insight to the police and how the organisation works. Very informative with current information and up-to-date knowledge demonstrated.” Teacher.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my morning at Hendon… the enthusiasm of the students I met was contagious. It was really good to see young people engaging in this new and exciting qualification. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing work in this important area.” Iain Wright, Former Junior Schools Minister

“They seemed to really enjoy it and want to be here. I was very impressed by the standard of their French.” Volunteer

“I enjoyed the session thoroughly because I learnt different skills and tips to implement in my life and career.” Student, Clapton Girls’ Technology College

“I learnt how to think outside the box when it comes to buildings.” Student, Stoke Newington School

“Thank you very, very much for a wonderful day of construction activities and information, and please convey our thanks to all the 8Build staff who so generously contributed their time and energy to make today so special for the students.” Teacher, Stoke Newington School

For further information, please contact our Curriculum Enrichment/Secondary Team on 020 7275 6060