At Hampstead School, we believe learning goes far beyond the classroom. We encourage our students to get involved in a wide range of projects, programmes, and experiences that help them grow, connect with the community, and develop new skills.
We regularly update this page with exciting opportunities that are local, affordable, and valuable for your career and personal development. From volunteering and work experience to creative workshops and competitions, there’s something for everyone.
Please be aware that these opportunities are provided by external organisations. Hampstead School is not responsible for the content or delivery of these activities.
Check back often to see what’s new! If you would like us to share your opportunity with our students, or if you know of an exciting opportunity that we haven't included, please email us at enquiries@hampsteadschool.org.uk.
Helpful Resources
The Next Steps in London resource hub is a collection of guides designed to support
young people, parents, and educators as they explore future career pathways across the capital. These resources aim to spark meaningful conversations, build confidence, and provide practical tools for navigating the next stage of the careers journey. Click here for more information.
Many of the below opportunities reach us from My Big Career. Those aged 16-21 can speak with them about education and employment pathways: click here for more information.
Whether you’re exploring A Levels, T Levels, apprenticeships or other routes, this tool helps you make sense of what’s out there after Year 11. Post-16 Opportunities through Camden Learning. Click here for more information.
Current Opportunities
These opportunities are listed by event date, and some may have application deadlines several months in advance. Please check each link for complete details as early as possible.
Financial Services Career Accelerator
Topic: Finance
Deadline: unspecified
Years: students aged 17+
About: Fitch believes that every young person should have the opportunity to achieve their potential no matter who they are or their background. The Financial services industry can open the doors to so many possibilities even without a university degree. From learning on the job with apprenticeships, or entry-level jobs to taking specialised courses, you can take control of your future by pursuing an exciting career in financial services through their free Financial Services Career Accelerator programme. The Financial Services Career Accelerator is a free accredited 10-week learning programme that includes: ● Professional skills development ● Training for the CISI Level 2 Fundamentals in Financial Services Qualification ● Entrance to the CISI Level 2 exam. ● Opportunities to connect with top UK companies
Know Our Impact (KOI) Youth Board is recruiting!
Topic: Community Impact
Deadline: unspecified
Years: Students aged 11+. Living in North East &North Cumbria and able to attend online and face to face meetings.
About: KOI are a group of young people who work together and take action, bringing meaningful change in mental health, physical health and social wellbeing for young people in a positive way. It is important that young people are heard to make sure that things are effectively working to help them.
Details: To apply, please contact cyp@risenortheast.co.uk
CareerDays.co.uk – Online Career Day
Topic: Various careers
Dates: Saturday 04th October – Saturday 13th December
Years: Years 9–13, aged 13–18 About: CareerDays.co.uk runs live, 1-day online Career Days across a wide range of subjects (Medicine, Law, Veterinary, Engineering, Psychology, Business, Architecture, Computer Science, Performing Arts, Midwifery and more). All with the aim of helping students decide what career paths they may be interested in. Sessions typically run 11:00–16:00 (UK); a few subjects vary slightly —please see the event page for details.
Mornings focus on what the career is really like and how to apply to university; afternoons provide work-experience activities plus a live Q&A, and students receive a personalised certificate afterwards. All sessions are delivered online and are recorded for on-demand viewing.
Details: For more information and dates for each subject session, please visit https://www.careerdays.co.uk/apply-now
4Skills – Channel 4 Work Experience
Topic: Media and Journalism
Deadline: 19 December to receive an award
Years: Open to all students aged 14 and over
About: 4Skills is Channel 4’s training and development team, here to help you kick-start a career in TV and the creative industries. They create opportunities for young people who might not know where to start, making the media world more open and diverse. With 4Skills, it’s all about giving you the confidence and skills to explore exciting creative paths.
Virtual work experience is an online programme where young people complete real-world tasks, challenges, and insights from industry professionals, all from home and at their own pace. Students have until 19th December to complete the work experience online.
Details: Click here to sign up
Tesco - Home and Clothing Internship
Topic: Fashion and Business
Deadline: Applications close on 23 December 2025
Years: Y12 and Y13
About: New for 2026, this internship brings together the best of general merchandise and fashion under one roof. It’s all about helping you grow into a future leader in buying and merchandising. Create product ranges for Tesco stores—from home textiles to stylish accessories and seasonal must-haves. You will collaborate with F&F, the in-house clothing brand, to learn how fashion trends and customer tastes shape what is offered. Build strong relationships with suppliers, managing contracts, and making sure the right products land in the right place at the right time. Salary: £26,000. Programme start date: 15 June 2026.
Details: Click here to apply
The Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) Program
Topic: Higher education
Deadline: Applications close 7 January 2026
Years: 16-18-year-olds
About: This is a summer academic enrichment and leadership program that brings together outstanding high school students from around the world for intensive two-week sessions on Yale’s campus in New Haven. YYGS offers Need-Based Financial Aid (covering up to the full cost of tuition) for all domestic and international students, and then all students coordinate and pay/fundraise to cover their transportation needs.
Details: Click here to apply
The Telegraph Media Literacy Programme 2026
Topic: Journalism
Deadline: Applications close at 5:00pm, 13th February 2026
Years: 16-18-year-olds
About: The programme will run for four weeks, beginning on Tuesday, 3rd March 2026. Sessions will be with a range of Telegraph journalists from departments including news, sports, beauty, music, and social media and take place online from 4:00 to 5:10 pm every Tuesday (you must not miss lessons). At the end of the programme, each student will receive a Telegraph Media Literacy Journalism Certificate.
To apply we would like you to write 100 words on why you would like to take part in the programme. Please ensure you use your school email address and state the name and location of your school. When submitting your application, please provide the contact details of a teacher, parent/guardian or youth zone representative. You will be notified of the next steps once your application has been reviewed.
Details: Click here to apply
The Christopher Tower Poetry Competition
Topic: Poetry
Deadline: Applications close at midday, 19 February 2026
Years: 16-18-year-olds
About: Each year the theme is chosen with the intention of giving entrants free rein to interpret it as widely as they like. The poet who writes the single best poem on the theme receives £5,000. There will be a second prize of £3,000, and a third prize of £1,500. Along with these, there will be ten runners up, who will each receive £500. The top three winners will also be offered a place on the Tower Poetry Summer School. The theme is 'A Riddle'. This year’s theme is an invitation to explore the ways in which poetry makes the everyday strange.
Entries must be written in English and be no more than 48 lines in length. Text should be in Ariel font, size 12, unless another font or size is required to fulfil a particular artistic purpose. Tower Poetry considers the unacknowledged use of generative AI to be a form of plagiarism, and any entries making use of such technology will be considered in breach of the Terms and Conditions of the competition.
Details: To enter, click here
Girls Do Engineering
Topic:
Date: Saturday 21 February 2026, 09:30 - 16:30
Years: mainly 11 to 13
About:The Electronic Engineering department is hosting a FREE day-long event aimed at inspiring the next generation of female engineers. This event aims to give you a taste of being an engineer for 1 day and to give you an inside view of the challenges and opportunities that women face in the engineering world. The day includes hands-on lab activities, a talk given by Erica Osakwe, Analyst at CMS Cameron Mckenna Nabarro Olswang LLP, a tour and introduction to recent graduates, and lunch.
Details: contact Matthew Bryan on matthew.bryan@rhul.ac.uk. When booking, please let us know the School or College you attend and what year you are in. If you are below Year 12, parents/guardians should be included in all communications.
Ongoing Opportunities
Aaron Evans Architects
Topic: Architecture, Work Experience
Years: 12 to 13
About: Individually arranged work experience at their London office. Website says they like to offer work experience to sixth form students, but don’t have a set format for it.
Details: http://www.aaronevans.com/Work_Experience
British Army
Topic: Work Experience
Years: 14 to 18 year olds
About: Students keen to explore careers in the Army can book onto our four-day residential work experience. For 14-18 year olds, the programme develops teamwork, leadership, confidence and resilience. This is a great way for students to get a taste of Army life and fully appreciate the wealth of career opportunities.
Details: https://jobs.army.mod.uk/base/
Cambridge Arts Theatre
Topic: Theatre management
Years: ages 16 – 25
About: 1 week placements run throughout the year. Experience will usually include technical, front of house, box office, finance, marketing. Very competitive, so apply as early as possible and at least six months in advance. Application involves sending CV and letter, then an interview.
Details: https://www.cambridgeartstheatre.com/discover-more/work-experience
Camden Youth Council
Topic: Community Engagement
Years: students aged 13 to 19
About: Help to represent young people in Camden and make change happen by joining Camden Youth Council. Anyone aged 13 to 19 who lives in Camden or attends a school, college or youth club in Camden, or works here, is eligible to join.
They are always eager to recruit more Youth Council members. These hardworking individuals help us mobilise the youth of Camden in democracy, informing them of the opportunities open to them and tackling key issues they face. They attend meetings with other Camden Youth Council members, the Youth MP and the Deputy Youth MPs.
Details: https://www.camden.gov.uk/have-your-say-with-the-youth-council
Channel 4 Work Experience
Topic: Work Experience
Years: Ages 14+
About: Discover the exciting world of creative careers in TV and Broadcasting. Gain unique insights into what it takes to build a successful national broadcaster like Channel 4. This experience will open your eyes to a variety of roles across the industry and provide meaningful work experience, from technical positions to on-camera roles, and introduce you to the talented people who make it all happen. With over 4,200 participants in the UK already gaining valuable industry knowledge, it's your turn to dive in. Ready to explore and build your creative career? Sign up today!
Details: Click here for more information
KPMG Work Experience programme
Topic: Work Experience, Consulting
Years: 13
About: student work experience programmes have been designed to help you learn, develop and discover more about what it’s like to work at KPMG. Our programmes are a perfect opportunity for year 13/S5-S6 students to gain professional work experience, get an insight into our diverse teams and explore the variety of career opportunities we offer. We’ll inspire you to grow through your experience with us, helping you to develop new skills, build your confidence, make new friends and broaden your professional network. You’ll get a first-hand view into the projects we work on, the businesses we work with and the work we do that makes a positive difference for our clients, people and the communities we serve. Bring your unique perspective, curiosity and ambitions to our KPMG community, and we’ll empower you to uncover a world of career opportunities.
Details: https://www.kpmgcareers.co.uk/apprentice/work-experience/discovery-work-experience/
Nuffield placements
Topic: Science
Years: 12
About: 4 – 6 week placements over the summer holidays, usually in university research facilities. Over 1,000 placements each year, working alongside professional scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians. Probably the most highly regarded experience for would-be science and engineering students. Highly competitive, but no particular grades required. Must be studying STEM subjects at A Level (science, technology, engineering, maths). Preference given to students who are the first in their family to attend university, but anyone can apply
Details: https://www.stem.org.uk/placements
Online subject tasters from the University of Sheffield
Topic: Open Day
About: These subject taster sessions offer you an opportunity to experience a university lecture or seminar, to get a taste of what studying that subject at university is like. Available for Year 12 and 13 students, there are a wide range of subjects to choose from and sessions are delivered online (and some on- campus.)
Details: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/visit/subject-tasters
Open University Free Courses
Topic: Various
About: OpenLearn from the Open University. The Open University are offering a number of free badged courses that cover a range of core subjects and professional competencies essential for the modern workplace. These include “Managing my money for young adults” and “COVID-19: Immunology, vaccines and epidemiology” amongst others.
Details: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/badged-courses
Vodafone
Topic: Telecommunications, Work Experience
Years: unspecified
About: 1 week placement, experience across all departments of the business. Email to register your interest groupworkexperience@vodafone.com