How Schools Work

min read

Understanding how schools operate will help you offer activities at the right time and work effectively with school staff.

Schools in England follow a standard academic year with three terms:

Autumn Term

September – December

Sept: Settling in Busy
Oct: Half-term break
Nov-Dec: Good for activities Good

Spring Term

January – March/April

Jan: Good for careers focus Good
Feb: Half-term break
Mar: Work experience season Good

Summer Term

April – July

May-Jun: Exam season Avoid
Late Jun-Jul: Post-exams Ideal

School holidays: Most schools have a one-week half-term in October, February, and May, plus longer breaks at Christmas (2 weeks), Easter (2 weeks), and summer (6 weeks).

The Gatsby Benchmarks

All schools are measured against 8 standards for good careers guidance. Two involve employers:

Employer Encounters

Every student should have multiple meaningful encounters with employers throughout their education.

Workplace Experiences

Every student should have at least one workplace experience by age 16, and another by age 18.

What this means for you

Schools are actively looking for employers to work with. Your activities help them meet their statutory requirements. Mentioning Gatsby Benchmarks shows you understand their priorities.

Schools have different staff responsible for employer engagement:

Careers Leader Main contact

Every school must have one. They're responsible for the careers programme. Also called Head of Careers, Careers Coordinator, or CEIAG Lead.

Careers Adviser

Works directly with students on career planning. Sometimes from an external provider like Connexions.

Work Experience Coordinator

For placements specifically. Handles paperwork, risk assessments, and student matching.

Subject Teachers

For industry-specific talks (e.g., engineering in physics, accounting in maths).

Senior Leadership Team (SLT)

For larger partnerships or ongoing programmes. Deputy head or headteacher.

Schools typically plan careers activities at least one term in advance.

If you want activities in...	Contact schools by...
Autumn term (Sep-Dec)	Summer term (June-July)
Spring term (Jan-Apr)	Autumn term (Oct-Nov)
Summer term (Apr-Jul)	Spring term (Feb-Mar)

Plan ahead: Contact schools 6-8 weeks before you want to run activities. Last-minute requests are much harder to accommodate.

School calendars are busy

Schools juggle many competing priorities:

Teaching & exams Parents' evenings School trips Staff training (INSET) Assemblies Sports days

When you work with young people, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

When you visit a school

Wear visitor badge

Supervised by staff

DBS check usually not required for one-off supervised visits.

When students visit your workplace

You're responsible for their health and safety
You should have a designated supervisor
For regular or unsupervised contact, DBS checks may be required

For work experience placements

Enhanced DBS for staff with regular unsupervised contact
Employers' liability insurance covering work experience
Schools may ask you to complete a risk assessment

Not sure about DBS? See our Safeguarding Essentials guide for more detail.

Good times

Oct – Nov: Schools settled, all year groups available
Jan – Feb: Post-Christmas, careers focus
Late Jun – Jul: Post-exams, great for younger years

Times to avoid

First 2 weeks of Sep: Schools settling in
May – mid Jun: GCSE/A-level exams
Last week of term: Packed with events

The school day

School day 8:30am – 3:30pm

Lessons 50-60 mins

Lunch 30-45 mins

Form time 15-20 mins

Tip: Ask the school what works best for them. Some prefer mornings, others can only fit activities into afternoon slots.