Kelsey arrived at secondary school wanting to be anywhere else but there. She struggled with friendships, clashed with teachers and often tried to avoid coming into school. But after a week's work experience placement at Whipsnade Zoo, in Bedfordshire, her outlook could not be more different.
She said it made her a "completely different person" – more confident, with a "good group of friends" and a greater sense of purpose about where her education could lead her. Before the placement, Kelsey had no clear idea what she wanted to do after school, which she said was part of the reason she struggled to commit to her education. Spending time at the zoo helped her understand the range of careers available and the qualifications she would need to pursue them.
“A 15-year-old says a week at Whipsnade Zoo transformed her outlook, making her more confident and motivated.”
"I realised why school matters, and how it links directly to the career I want," she said. "I've started revising properly and putting much more effort into my education because I know it's the route to my future."
The practical nature of the placement also built her confidence. She worked alongside other students to design enrichment activities for a tiger, then presented their ideas to members of the public – something she said she would previously have found intimidating. "I wasn't treated like a child, and I was trusted to do meaningful work," she said.
Kelsey now plans to study animal care at college after her GCSEs, before pursuing a career as an animal behaviourist.
Children across the UK are strongly encouraged to do work experience while at school. In England, the government published new legal guidance in June for schools to deliver two weeks of "in-person and immersive" work experience in future – one between Year 7 and Year 9, and one between Years 10 and 11. Organisations like the Sutton Trust and the Social Mobility Foundation said some students could be limited by the availability of placements in their area, or a lack of family connections with local employers.
For Maddison, another Year 10 student, her goal to end up in office-based work was clear from the beginning. She approached Central Employment North East, a recruitment firm in Newcastle where her uncle was a partner. "I'm quite a shy person," she said. The article also mentioned a third student, Azhe, but no further details were included.
The experiences of Kelsey, Maddison and Azhe illustrate how a single week in the world of work can reshape a teenager's ambitions – but as the Sutton Trust warns, not every student has equal access to the right placement.