More pupils do work experience now than in recent years, but placements are shorter, report reveals

More pupils do work experience now than in recent years, but placements are shorter, report reveals

• Some 58% of Year 10 pupils did work experience last year - a higher proportion than at any time in recent years

• On average, pupils spend just over four days on work experience, down from just under five days six years ago

• Only 50% of pupils on free school meals and 51% of pupils with special needs and/or disabilities do work experience, compared with 61% and 59% of their peers

More pupils are doing work experience before their GCSEs than at any point in recent years, analysis of data from nearly a third of state secondary schools in England shows.

A new report, just published by The Key Group, shows that the government’s recent push for stronger careers programmes in schools is starting to pay off. 

Over the last academic year, some 58% of Year 10 pupils did work experience - a significant increase from 49% the year before, and 43% six years ago, just before the pandemic.

But while the data shows more pupils are doing work experience, the time allocated to it is shrinking. 

Last year, Year 10 pupils spent an average of just over four days on work experience, down from just under four and a half days the year before, and just under five days in 2018/19.

The report focuses on pupils in Year 10, who are aged 14 and 15, because this is when work experience usually takes place due to Year 11 being dominated by GCSE preparation and exams. 

The Key Group’s report, which analysed data from more than 200,700 pupils, also reveals a growing gap between disadvantaged teenagers and their peers when it comes to work experience.

Last year, 50% of pupils eligible for free school meals did work experience, compared with 61% of other pupils. The gap was slightly narrower the year before when it was 42%, compared to 52%. 

Even more worryingly, 51% of pupils with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND) did work experience last year, compared with 59% of pupils without SEND - a wider gap than the 45% and 50% the previous year.

Geographical disparities remain pronounced: 74% of pupils in the South West did work experience last year, compared with just 41% in Yorkshire and the Humber. London dropped from third to seventh place among regions for the proportion of pupils who did work experience.

The Government has recently renewed its drive for schools to prioritise work experience. In May, the Department for Education issued updated statutory guidance, effective from September, reinforcing the Gatsby Benchmarks - the national framework for high-quality careers education. This links to the Government’s Opportunity Mission, part of its manifesto pledges.

From this academic year, schools have been expected to plan and, where possible, reshape their work experience programmes so that all pupils in Years 10 and 11 have a week’s worth of work experience, and pupils in Years 7 to 9 can take part in a week of work-related activities. Governing boards must scrutinise their school's offer as part of their monitoring work to ensure careers education is well-led and managed. 

When inspecting schools, Ofsted now considers how well careers education prepares and supports all secondary-age pupils to progress in education, employment or training up to at least age 18. Inspectors also look at whether schools provide a careers programme that meets the Gatsby Benchmarks, with impartial advice from a qualified careers adviser, opportunities for workplace experiences, and engagement with employers, colleges and training providers.

The Key Group’s analysis shows there is considerable room for improvement when it comes to the proportion of schools providing a week’s worth of work experience for Year 10s. Only 37% of pupils did at least a week’s worth of work experience in the last academic year, although this is still an improvement on the 32% of the previous year. 

School leaders told The Key Group that pupils are keener than ever to do work experience, but that it is increasingly challenging to find enough employers willing to offer it. 

Ellis Potter, Head of Apprenticeships and Careers at The Priory Federation of Academies Trust, which has schools in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, said education leaders needed to be more innovative than ever when it comes to work experience. 

"We have seen a year-on-year increase in the numbers of our young people doing work experience and we make sure they are as prepared and motivated as possible to explore opportunities across different sectors.

“At the same time, we recognise the challenge highlighted in this report of ensuring that young people eligible for free school meals or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities have the same opportunities as their peers. Innovative approaches are essential so that all pupils can access the world of work. It’s not just about placements – projects and immersive workplace experiences can be equally valuable.

"It doesn't surprise me that placements are now shorter, but are happening more frequently. We run three-day work placements because this is what employers in our network have said works best for them given the practical and financial constraints they face."

Melissa Mangal, Careers and Enterprise Coordinator at Sydenham School in London, said: “Over the past few years, we’ve seen a substantial increase in ambition among our pupils when it comes to the type of work experience they want to do.

“Almost all of our Year 10 pupils now take part in a week of work experience, and this year more students than ever have secured their own placements.

“At the same time, it’s becoming harder to secure employer involvement, so support from the local authority has been invaluable in helping us ensure that every student, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can access placements that are both suitable and rewarding.”

Chris Kenyon, CEO of The Key Group, said: “Things are moving in the right direction for pupils across the country when it comes to work experience. The scale of this data, which covers 31% of all state secondaries in England, means that schools and policy-makers can see the impact of Government initiatives in near-real time and review and benchmark their careers programmes against peers. The hope is that this insight will help schools to refine their own practices and support wider efforts to ensure every pupil has meaningful opportunities to experience the world of work."

John Yarham, Interim CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company, said: "It’s encouraging to see schools and colleges reporting growing participation around work experience, which remains one of the most powerful ways for young people to connect their learning with the world of work. But there is still more to do. With the strengthened Gatsby Benchmarks and updated statutory guidance now coming into effect, we have a real opportunity to raise ambition and consistency in work experience provision – to ensure every child can take their best next step."

By law, schools must record when pupils are on work experience in their morning and afternoon registers. The schools in the report used a ‘W’ code to note work experience. 

The Key Group analysed occurrences of this code between September 2024 and July 2025 and compared this with last year’s data and the year before that, as well as the data for September 2018 to July 2019, to show any post-pandemic effects.