Blending academic learning with real-world experience creates deeper engagement, stronger outcomes, and more confident students.
Here’s how UK schools and colleges can embed work experience into their curriculum, effectively and effortlessly.

Why integrate work experience into the curriculum?

Because students learn best when they understand the “why” behind the “what.”
Integrating work experience into the curriculum helps bridge the gap between theory and application, giving students a richer, more meaningful education.

At The Changing Education Group, we support schools in delivering a Gatsby Benchmark-compliant, Ofsted-ready work experience that seamlessly connects with curriculum objectives.

How can work experience align with curriculum goals?

When placements reinforce classroom learning, students engage more deeply and retain knowledge longer.

Key benefits of curriculum-aligned work experience:

• Reinforces subject knowledge through practical application
• Helps students explore real-world relevance of their studies
• Enhances engagement across key stages and subjects
• Supports personal development and future planning

For example:

• A BTEC Business student shadowing a marketing team
• A Health & Social Care student gaining insight in a care setting
• A T-Level student completing an industry placement linked to their specialism

It’s not just about sending students out, it’s about building purposeful learning journeys.

What role does collaboration play in successful integration?

Curriculum integration only works when education and industry work together.
By building partnerships with local employers, schools can create structured placements that support specific subject areas and learning outcomes.

A collaborative approach means:

• Employers understand what students are learning in class
• Educators can tailor placements to curriculum goals
• Students take on meaningful tasks aligned to their studies

At The Changing Education Group, we help schools build and maintain employer relationships, ensuring placements aren’t generic but targeted and transformational.

How should student learning be assessed during placements?

Assessment turns experience into growth.
To maximise the impact of integrated work experience, schools should collect ongoing feedback and reflections from both students and employers.

Best practices for assessment:

• Use clear learning objectives linked to the curriculum
• Gather employer evaluations and reflections
• Encourage student self-assessment and goal setting
• Incorporate learning into post-placement activities or coursework

Our platform includes built-in tools for tracking placement progress, gathering feedback, and aligning outcomes to learning goals, making it easy to assess both the process and the impact.

What are the outcomes of integrating work experience with learning?

When done well, curriculum-linked work experience improves outcomes across the board:

• Students become more motivated and engaged
• Educators gain new ways to bring learning to life
• Employers connect with education in meaningful ways
• Schools meet Gatsby Benchmark 6 and support Ofsted inspection readiness

It’s a time-saving, cost-effective, and compliant solution that strengthens student futures.

Start Embedding Real-World Learning into Your Curriculum

At The Changing Education Group, we believe every student should understand how what they learn connects to the world beyond the classroom.

Our platform and support services help schools:

• Build curriculum-aligned placements
• Engage employers with purpose
• Meet compliance with ease
• Deliver better outcomes for every learner

Book a demo or contact us today to explore how we can help bring real-world relevance into your curriculum, without adding to your workload.

FAQs

1. How can we link work experience to subject learning?
Match placements to course topics or themes. For example, pair a design student with a creative agency or a STEM student with a local lab.

2. What if we have limited employer contacts?
The Changing Education Group provides full employer engagement support, helping you find, vet, and manage relevant placement opportunities.

3. Can T Level industry placements be integrated into teaching plans?
Yes, they should be. We help align placements with the T-Level curriculum to meet both industry and academic needs.

4. How do you assess learning from a placement?
We use employer feedback, student reflection, and learning outcomes aligned with curriculum goals, all trackable in our platform.

5. What support do you offer to schools starting this process?
We provide hands-on guidance, resources, and full use of our Work Experience Suite to make curriculum integration smooth and scalable.