Year 10 Futures Week (1st-5th July 2024)– Experiencing the World of Work our Year 10 students spent a week away from their normal lessons to gain an insight into the world of work, which ultimately is what we are all helping prepare them for. The week included numerous workplace visits with a number of providers who hosted groups of students for the day to learn about their industries and see how work places can differ.

 Last year we were able to provide a multidude of different experiences. Over two days 200 students took part in these special experiences of work including - Clacton Hospital’s Diagnostic Centre - where students looked at careers and apprenticeships in the NHS, along with a tour of their new facility in Clacton; The Book Service in Frating - where students looked at careers in publishing with talks from logistics staff and publishing staff, they also got a tour of the distribution centre; ThinkBDW - a property development firm that focuses on graphic design and VR design of interiors; and CloudFM - a facility management business in Colchester; the students had a fantastic experience and returned glowing about their day learning about logistics and business administration. Students who have expressed an interest in engineering had the opportunity to visit Pickering, a local electronics firm who make microswitches; they had a talk and a tour, as well as meeting some ex-CCHS students who now work at Pickering Electronics to learn about their career journey. Other engineering visits included Tridan Engineering - a milling company that makes everything from engine blocks to missile casings where students got a talk about career routes and see their facility in action; the Galloper Windfarm Headquarters in Harwich where they learnt about the off-shore power generation section and talked to staff about the Galloper degree apprenticeship opportunities; there was also an opportunity for them to wear the special rigging harnesses and experience a VR tour of the wind turbines.

Other visits included - Harwich Port and Trinity House, where students learnt about careers at sea and toured they buoy storage area and engineering facility. Petro-Chemical organisation Halterman Carless allowed students onto their site for the first time and took them on an interesting tour of their plant in Harwich where they distil various hydro-carbons to produce various petroleum products, including racing fuel which is exported around the world for Powerboating, Racing and Rally cars, as well as an unnamed Formula 1 team.

Our annual Post 18 week again proved to be greatly

beneficial for our Year 12 students, with a range of events

and activities to help with their future career planning.

Sessions helped the students to focus on their choices for

when they conclude their A-Level studies in a year’s time.

They looked at higher education, apprenticeship,

employment and gap year opportunities, registering for

UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service) and the

job application process.

There was a particular focus on preparing for an interview

and identifying their skills and personal qualities in

preparation for the annual Mock Interview Day. A number of

industry professionals met with each Year 12 student, who

had dressed as if they were attending a real interview. Each

professional was tasked with choosing their best interviewee

in a special ‘Your Hired’ competition. Other awards included

the best dressed student on interview day.

The students also attended the annual UCAS Convention

at the University of Essex, where all the higher education

institutions in the country gave information and advice on

the courses available - over 40,000 different course

combinations, at 130 institutions.

The week concluded with an opportunity to chat with a

number of ex-students (pictured above) - ranging from

those who had recently left, to some who had been out in

the big wide world a while longer. They offered Year 12

students their advice and also

This week saw the launch of an amazing new opportunity for twelve of our Year 10 students – a seven-week work experience opportunity which combines mentoring sessions with local business people, as well as workplace visits. Along with the sessions in school, the group will be visiting Tiptree Jams, Direct Solutions Print & Design in Clacton, the Colchester Foodbank and UK Power Networks.

The course is organised in association with the Futures Academy and started with an activity designed to get the groups talking and working together. Each team had to build a structure of balloons, with a different characteristic of a good employee written on each of them.