What a week's work experience taught these Year 10s about their futures

Image caption, Work experience students Kelsey, Maddison and Azhe By Rahib Khan Education reporter Published 3 minutes ago When Kelsey first arrived at secondary school, she said she wanted to be almost 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. 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. But not all work experience placements are equal, and finding the right one can be tricky. 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. BBC News spoke to three Year 10 pupils, one year ahead of their final GCSE exams, about how they decided what areas of work they were interested in, their experiences of trying to find the right placement, and what it taught them about their future education and ultimate career goals. Before her placement, Kelsey said she had no clear idea what she wanted to do after school. It was part of the reason why she struggled to commit to her education. She had always loved animals, but spending time at the zoo helped her understand the range of careers available - and the qualifications she would need to pursue them. "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." Image source, The Gatsby Foundation Image caption, Kelsey said her placement at the zoo gave her a whole new outlook on education The practical nature of the placement also helped Kelsey build her confidence. She worked alongside other students to design enrichment activities for a tiger, for example, before presenting 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. For Maddison, her goal to end up in office-based work was clear to her from the beginning, so 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. "Before I left, my mum told me: 'Confidence is key.'" She quickly settled