Workplace Learning Charter at LJFS
LJFS Workplace Learning Charter 2025-2028
Preparing Students for Life, Learning and Work
Our Commitment
At Leeds Jewish Free School (LJFS), we believe that preparing young people for successful adult lives is a fundamental part of our educational mission. As a Jewish school, we are committed to helping every student develop the knowledge, skills, confidence, character and resilience required to flourish in modern British society whilst remaining grounded in Jewish values of responsibility, contribution, service and community.
LJFS fully supports the expectations set out by the Department for Education that schools should work towards ensuring young people receive one week's worth of work experience activities during Key Stage 3 and one week's worth of work experience placements during Key Stage 4.
We also recognise the importance of Gatsby Benchmark 6: Experiences of Workplaces, which states:
"Every learner should have first-hand experiences of workplaces to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks."
Rather than viewing work experience as a single event in Year 10 or Year 11, LJFS will deliver a carefully sequenced five-year Workplace Learning Journey, ensuring that every student experiences meaningful encounters with employers, employees and workplaces from Year 7 through to Year 11.
Why Workplace Learning Matters
The Department for Education and Ofsted are clear that high-quality careers education helps young people understand opportunities, raise aspirations and make informed choices about their futures.
In its review of careers guidance, Ofsted stated:
"High-quality careers guidance is essential to enable all children and young people to understand the range of options available to them and realise their potential."
The Gatsby Benchmarks further expect that:
"By the age of 16, every pupil should have had meaningful experiences of workplaces."
Meaningful workplace experiences help students:
Understand the relevance of their learning
Raise aspirations and broaden horizons
Develop employability skills
Build confidence and resilience
Explore careers and industries
Understand workplace expectations
Make informed choices about future pathways
At LJFS, we believe these opportunities are particularly important in helping students become thoughtful, informed and ambitious young adults who can contribute positively to society.
Our Context as a Jewish School
LJFS operates within a unique context.
As a Jewish school, we have a responsibility to balance opportunity with safeguarding, wellbeing and security. In recent years, Jewish schools have operated within a heightened security environment, requiring careful consideration of how external activities are organised.
Whilst we fully embrace the importance of workplace experiences, we must also ensure that participation is:
Safe
Equitable
Well-supervised
Inclusive
Accessible to every student
For this reason, LJFS will primarily deliver its work experience entitlement through a group-based employer engagement model, complemented by workplace visits, projects, challenges and employer-led experiences.
This approach is fully aligned with current DfE and Gatsby guidance, which recognises that meaningful experiences of workplaces may include:
Multi-day workplace visits
Employer-led projects
Work shadowing
Employer talks and demonstrations
Workplace tours
Technical workshops
Multi-employer experiences
Activities delivered over a number of days or weeks
A combination of in-person and virtual activities where appropriate
The LJFS Workplace Learning Journey
Year 7: Discover
Students begin exploring the world of work through:
Careers assemblies and workshops
Encounters with employers and employees
Visits from professionals within the LJFS parent and alumni community
Curriculum-linked careers activities
Exploration of careers connected to different subjects
The focus is on raising aspirations and introducing students to the diversity of opportunities available in modern society.
Year 8: Explore
Students develop a deeper understanding of employment and industry through:
Workplace visits
Employer talks and demonstrations
Industry insight days
Careers fairs and networking events
Small employer-led projects
Encounters with professionals from a variety of sectors
Students begin to understand workplace culture, professional expectations and transferable skills.
Year 9: Experience
Students participate in more immersive workplace learning opportunities including:
Multi-day employer challenges
Workplace visits involving employer-set tasks
Work shadowing opportunities
Team-based projects with employers
Encounters linked to GCSE option choices
Structured reflection activities
By the end of Year 9, every student will have completed the equivalent of one week's worth of meaningful workplace experiences as envisaged within DfE guidance.
Year 10: Apply
Students participate in the LJFS Employer Partnership Programme.
Working in groups, students engage directly with employers through:
Workplace visits
Real-world business and professional challenges
Employer-led projects
Team problem-solving activities
Professional mentoring opportunities
Enterprise and entrepreneurship activities
Employer feedback sessions
These experiences allow students to apply the skills they have developed throughout Key Stage 3 within authentic workplace contexts.
The programme will provide the equivalent of a full week of work experience through carefully planned employer engagement activities delivered across the year.
Year 11: Reflect and Transition
Students complete the final stage of their Workplace Learning Journey through:
Advanced employer encounters
Sector-specific workplace experiences
Professional mentoring opportunities
Employability and enterprise workshops
CV writing and interview preparation
Encounters with employers, apprenticeship providers, colleges and universities
Reflection on workplace experiences completed throughout Years 7 to 10
Students leave LJFS with a greater understanding of workplace expectations, future pathways and the skills required to thrive in further education, apprenticeships and employment.
What Makes an LJFS Experience Meaningful?
All LJFS workplace experiences will align with Gatsby's definition of a meaningful workplace experience.
Each experience will:
Have a clear purpose
Be linked to defined learning outcomes
Involve meaningful interaction with employers and employees
Enable students to meet people from different professional backgrounds
Include authentic employer-set tasks or projects
Provide opportunities for feedback from employers
Include structured reflection and evaluation afterwards
Meaningful experiences should include opportunities for young people to explore what it is like to work in an environment, understand what skills are valued, complete genuine workplace-related tasks and receive feedback on their performance.
Equality, Inclusion and Accessibility
At LJFS, workplace learning is an entitlement for every student.
No student should be disadvantaged because of:
SEND
Disability
Health needs
Family circumstances
Financial barriers
Travel limitations
Difficulties sourcing individual placements
The Gatsby guidance highlights the importance of ensuring meaningful workplace experiences are accessible to all learners and that some students may require additional support to participate fully.
Our group-based model enables every student to access high-quality workplace learning regardless of individual circumstances.
Partnership with Parents, Employers and the Community
The success of our programme depends on strong partnerships.
LJFS will work closely with:
Parents and carers
Alumni
Local employers
National organisations
Community groups
Higher education institutions
Apprenticeship and training providers
We will actively encourage members of our community to contribute to the programme through:
Workplace visits
Employer talks
Mentoring
Project sponsorship
Professional networking opportunities
Careers events
Together, we will help students build aspirations, networks and confidence.
Measuring Success
LJFS will evaluate its workplace learning programme against:
The Gatsby Benchmarks
Department for Education expectations
Careers and Enterprise Company guidance
Student voice
Employer feedback
Parent feedback
Ofsted expectations concerning careers education and guidance
Success will be measured through:
Student participation
Quality of employer engagement
Development of employability skills
Increased confidence and aspirations
Improved understanding of career pathways
Positive destinations after Year 11
Our Charter Promise
By the time a student leaves LJFS, they will have completed a carefully structured five-year programme of workplace learning. They will have met employers, visited workplaces, participated in employer-led projects, completed meaningful workplace experiences, received professional feedback and developed the knowledge, skills, confidence and aspirations needed for successful adult life.
Our commitment is not simply to provide a week of work experience. Our commitment is to provide every LJFS student with a sustained, progressive and meaningful experience of the world of work from Year 7 through to Year 11, delivered in a way that is safe, inclusive and appropriate to the unique context of our Jewish school community.
In doing so, LJFS will meet both the spirit and the expectations of the Department for Education, Ofsted and the Gatsby Benchmarks, ensuring that every student leaves school ready to take their next steps with confidence, purpose and ambition.
