Withernsea High School

As members of the award-winning For Entrepreneurs Only (FEO), a Hull-based community interest company comprising more than 200 entrepreneurs, the group supports students at schools and colleges through its ‘NxGen’ workshops. Each session encourages participants to explore the different aspects of creating a successful business – from having the right attitude and good people skills, through to effective marketing strategies and strong financial management. Year 8 students at Withernsea High School were among those who recently benefited from this masterclass in entrepreneurship. Working in groups, the students were tasked with developing their own unique product or service and creating a business plan for it. Each team member took on a different role within their ‘company’, with representatives from FEO on-hand to deliver expert advice and guidance as the students prepared to present their ideas. Presentations were judged on the quality of the business idea, marketing considerations, projected finances, the attitude of team members and presentation skills. The teams presented a high standard of ideas, making it a challenging task for the judges to select the top three. The winning proposal came from team ‘Your Huge Shoes’, a designer shoe company for larger feet. Team members Grace, Lucy, Daisy, Holly and Ethan were praised for their idea and for delivering a confident and well-thought-out pitch. In addition to the team awards, five individual students were recognised as ‘budding entrepreneurs’ by FEO members for their excellent attitude, behaviour and future potential. These awards went to Dylan, Florence, Elliot, Curtis and Jethro. Winning team member Holly said: “I really enjoyed the workshop as it taught us a lot about starting your own business, including the financial side of things and marketing techniques”. While individual award winner Jethro added: “It was really good that we could choose our own business idea and the session helped to teach us how to make a business work. I’d really recommend the workshop to anyone who is interested in learning about becoming their own boss.” April Thurston, FEO manager and administration and events coordinator, led the masterclass. April praised the students for their engagement and business acumen, saying: “It is always a pleasure to attend Withernsea High School. The students were all fully engaged throughout the day and came up with some great business ideas. “The FEO NxGen is a group of business owners who volunteer their time to help inspire young people to become entrepreneurs, a career path that can, given hard work, resilience and determination, reap rewards on so many levels. “To encourage entrepreneurship in Hull and the surrounding areas can only benefit the region with regards to employment, skill set and, of course, inspiring entrepreneurship in the next generation.” Jan Brumby, FEO chief executive, added: “FEO's main objective is to help grow the local economy in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. We need more wealth creation, more quality high paying jobs, more money spent locally and it staying in the local economy. We also need more opportunity for young people to develop their careers here, rather than having to look elsewhere. We prioritise help, support and advice for starting businesses and growth. “The students at Withernsea always show lots of entrepreneurial flair at our NxGen days and we always look forward to their business ideas and presentations.” Among the entrepreneurs who lent their time and talents to the masterclass were event company owner Emma Winter, marketing managers Chris Jacobsen (Slice Marketing), Matt Johnson (Different Resonance) and Mark Titcombe (Holler Marketing), and Graeme Pittaway – managing director of painting and decorating contractors, C.E. Pittaway & Son. Viki Foster, Withernsea High School careers leader, reflected on the day's activities, saying: “It was great to welcome FEO back to the school. As always, the masterclass sessions offered our students a full day of fun activities and inspiring talks from local business owners. “The students who took part were fully engaged and were a credit to themselves and to the school. FEO members were really impressed by students’ business knowledge and their awareness of the financial markets, with many of them being picked out for recognition thanks to their in-depth and knowledgeable conversations about business. “Events such as the NxGen masterclass are crucial in expanding students’ horizons by inspiring confidence, creativity and resilience. I would like to thank the FEO team for giving up their time to deliver these workshops to our students who I know greatly enjoyed themselves and benefited from the experience.” FEO's goal is to help entrepreneurs create wealth and jobs to build the local economy and create a private sector renaissance. Through regular events and initiatives, FEO members aim to motivate, educate, inspire, and support others - offering their time, energy, passion and resources to help promote Hull and the Humber region as a great place to start up and run a business. FEO run a number of peer-led programmes which support and help people starting a new business. They provide business advice and strategy for growth to established businesses as well as fostering entrepreneurial ambitions in the next generation. FEO's members collectively turn over more than £4 billion and employ 25,000 people. For further information about FEO, please visit their website: www.forentrepreneursonly.co.uk Business leaders unite: Graeme Pittaway, managing director of painting and decorating contractors C.E. Pittaway & Son, looks on during one of the group presentations. [Photo Credit: Viki Foster] Article by Tim Nuttall January 2025                

Students were afforded the opportunity to tour the Palace of Westminster and participate in a workshop that examined the power of petitions. Working in small groups, students explored various self-selected topics including education, cheaper transport, A&E waiting times and social media restrictions for children. These topics inspired discussion and debate within each group as they considered which issues they would like to see raised in Parliament. Fortunate timing, with debates taking place in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, meant that the students were also given front row seats to see how issues are discussed at the heart of British democracy. Watching from the public galleries, students listened to speeches delivered by Iain Duncan-Smith and Baroness Berridge. Andrea Monaghan, the school’s head of personal development, said: “Learning about how our country is governed is an important part of the citizenship curriculum and seeing government in action is much more exciting than just learning about it in the classroom. “The workshop, organised by the Parliament Education Service, helped to inform students about the role that petitions play in raising issues to the attention of the government. The students were particularly interested to learn that they do not have to be over 18 to sign or even create a petition on the government's website. It is something that everyone can participate in and use to help influence the way that the country is run.”  The visit to Westminster aligned with the students’ continuing exploration of citizenship, a topic covered within fortnightly personal development lessons. This element of the curriculum helps to nurture the knowledge, skills and understanding needed for students to play a full part in democratic society as active and responsible citizens. Explaining this work further, Andrea added: “Our visit to Westminster complemented their classroom learning by helping to bring the subject to life. Throughout the rest of the year, students will continue to explore these themes and many others through a combination of lessons and drop-down mornings which will see them taken off-timetable for bespoke learning opportunities.”   Following their visit to Parliament, the group moved on to the British Library where they explored the treasures gallery – an on-site museum that holds a number of significant books and manuscripts from English, European and world history including the Magna Carta, the Domesday Book and original copies of Shakespearean plays.  Andrea added: “We found many texts that linked with learning in other subjects, such as a twelfth century copy of the Rig Veda – a collection of ancient Indian hymns from Hinduism which year 8 have been learning about in Religious Studies, and a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio which links to their learning in English. Many of the documents, including a copy of the Magna Carta, also linked to their learning in history. During the visit, some of the students set themselves the challenge of finding the oldest piece of text on display and were clearly impressed with the history and significance of the documents.” Among the staff accompanying the students on the trip was Laura Aldridge, lead for reading and whole school literacy, who said: “It was fantastic for our students to visit the British Library and to see for themselves what an important place of study and source of information it is. It was also good for them to see how busy and well-used it is by lots of people for many different reasons and to shatter the misconception of libraries being quiet, dusty and underused places.” Reflecting on the visit as a whole, Andrea Monaghan said: “Taking a group of our students to the capital, many for their first visit, was an amazing experience. To be given such access to the Houses of Parliament, and to see the things you see on TV in real life is certainly an experience we will all remember. “The tour guides from the Parliament Education Centre were fantastic, sharing lots of historical and quirky facts with our students which they found really interesting. “The students were superb ambassadors for the school, conducting themselves with excellent manners throughout and fully engaging in every activity. There were a lot of 'firsts' that day. For some, it was a first visit to London, for some a first trip on a train or on the underground, and for all of our students it was the first time they had set foot inside the Houses of Parliament.” Year 8 student Ava said: "It was really interesting to look around the Houses of Parliament and to see places that I had only seen pictures of before. But the best part was when Harlow played the piano in the station!" Andrea Monaghan added: “Year 8 student Harlow impressed everyone with her bravery and skill by taking a turn at playing the piano in St Pancras International Station in front of hundreds of passers-by. Celebrities such as Sir Elton John, Jools Holland and Jeff Goldblum have all played that piano - but as far as I'm concerned, our own Harlow beat the lot of them!” Meanwhile, following the success of this trip, another visit to London is in the pipeline for the summer term. “Demand for the trip far exceeded the spaces we had available. It was disappointing not to be able to take everyone who wanted to go, but I will be putting together another opportunity to visit London in the summer and those who missed out this time will have first refusal.”   PHOTOS Power of petitions 01: The students enjoyed a tour of the Palace of Westminster as part of a learning experience in the capital. [Photo Credit: Andrea Monaghan] Power of petitions 02: Students learned about the power of petitions during a workshop led by the Parliament Education Service. [Photo Credit: Andrea Monaghan] Article by Tim Nuttall January 2025            

The WHS Winter Festival featured students from across all years of the school who delivered a combination of individual and group performances. These included solo instrumentals, guitar/vocal and piano/vocal duets, band performances and dance routines.

Among those taking part were members of the school’s production band who had taken a break from rehearsing for next March’s school production, ‘Popstars the 90s musical’, to contribute to the showcase.

Event organiser and teacher of music, Lewis Fryer, said: “Huge congratulations to everyone involved in the WHS Winter Festival. To see a packed-out hall of parents, friends and family made it a really special occasion. The students have been working tirelessly over the past few months, rehearsing and dedicating their time to producing a range of outstanding performances. I am immensely proud of all of those who took part and congratulate them on delivering such a successful concert.”

Jamie Hughes, Head of Creative Arts and teacher of dance, added: “It was great to see our dancers, musicians and singers in the Winter Festival. Mr Fryer first created a combined arts (Art, Dance, Drama and Music) showcase at Hull University’s Middleton Hall in summer 2023, with a follow-up event taking place there in June this year.

“This most recent event is an extension of those showcases and, in an exciting development, featured 50 of our dancers. For me, this was really special as some of our Key Stage 4 dancers had taken the lead in organising the routines and had acted as excellent role models to younger students as they embarked on the first performance of the year. Moreover, seeing our very own school hall filled with our students’ friends and families, alongside members of staff and guests from community, is always very special.” 

On what was thankfully a dry (if slightly cold!) winter’s day, the school community turned out in force to complete a lap of the field before heading back to the sports hall for a complimentary hot chocolate.

Students were encouraged to donate a minimum of £1.00 to wear festive non-uniform and take part in the event. As per previous years, all money raised will be donated to Dove House Hospice and we look forward to revealing the final total in the new year.

Established as an end of term activity in December 2022, the event continues to grow in popularity. Despite being billed as a ‘run’, participants can also choose to walk the route.

Leading the organisation of this year’s event was Sarah Harris, Head of Humanities and co-leader of the school’s weekly running club. Ms Harris said: “It was a fantastic day and it was clear that the students really enjoyed taking part. The event is meaningful in a number of contexts, from raising money for a very worthy cause, to keeping students active while promoting physical and mental well-being. It was a genuine pleasure to see the enjoyment that the Santa Run brought, with students enjoying the time to run or walk with their friends.”

Representatives from Log on Move on, a free and independent source of careers information, advice and guidance, delivered an introductory session to the current year 11 cohort at the end of the last academic year. Through this activity, students learned how to use the company’s website to search for courses and apprenticeships, create CVs, and send and track applications to post-16 providers. They were also given tips on how to write an effective personal statement – an essential summary that not only provides an opportunity for students to convey their reasons for wanting to apply for a particular college course, apprenticeship vacancy or employment opportunity, but also forms the crucial first impressions of the applicant in the eyes of the organisation.  Helping to guide them through the process was the school’s careers leader, Viki Foster, who said: “The importance of personal statements cannot be underestimated. They provide the perfect medium for students to promote themselves to prospective employers and admissions teams, allowing them to reveal their personality through references to their hobbies, interests and what makes them unique as an individual. Personal statements can help to highlight these qualities, demonstrating distinctiveness which grabs attention and sets them apart from other candidates. “With college and apprenticeship applications already open, now is a crucial time for our year 11 students to focus on their futures and the skills needed to access the post-16 destinations of choice that await them from September 2025.”   While personal statements may unlock the door to future opportunities, it is the subsequent interview process that can carry an applicant over the threshold. Helping students to prepare for this important next step in the application process was Sanna Saidy, Collaborative Outreach Coordinator with the Humber Outreach Programme (HOP), who helped to deliver a recent interview skills workshop. As part of the government-funded Uni Connect initiative, HOP delivers impartial advice and guidance about higher and further education in schools and colleges across the Humber region. Their interview skills workshop introduces students to useful tips and techniques, with a focus on how they should successfully prepare for an interview. The session also explores the different types of interviews that are likely to be experienced, from face-to-face encounters and telephone calls, to online meetings and full-panel scenarios.  To help illustrate the many additional elements that factor into creating a successful candidate, students explored the qualities that could shape the judgement of prospective employers. These included the importance of positive body language - with eye contact, straight posture and confident handshakes being highlighted as good examples. Sanna said: “The work we do at HOP aims to raise aspirations in young adults across the Humber region by delivering workshops, talks and visits focused on Higher Education, be it through university or vocational routes. This work includes providing the students with the skills they require to excel in educational and professional environments.  “The session based around interview skills and body language is one of those workshops striving to equip the participants with tangible skills they can use immediately when they leave the classroom. This is one of my favourite sessions to deliver as it gives the students the opportunity to practise answering questions and the all-important firm handshake!  “It is always a pleasure working with the students at Withernsea High School. The Year 11 cohort were very engaged and actively took part in all the activities. I look forward to working with Viki Foster and everyone else in the school over the coming months.” A fortnight after their interview preparation workshop, the students were given an opportunity to put their new-found skills to the test during a structured mock interview day. This event saw every year 11 student given the opportunity to be interviewed one-on-one by a visiting employer / apprenticeship provider or a representative from a further or higher education setting. The mock interview scenario helped to evaluate how well students are prepared for the pressures of a real interview situation and provided the perfect platform to receive impartial feedback on their recently completed personal statements. To make the experience as authentic as possible, sealed written feedback was given to students at the end of the day to help guide them with their strengths and highlight the areas that require improvement. This valuable advice will help prepare them for their interviews to access post-16 providers, as well as the world of successful employment beyond Over 25 representatives from local employers and education providers took part in the event, helping to interview over 120 students throughout the course of the day. Each interviewer was allocated a group of students, with every student being asked five individually selected questions. Viki Foster said: “The main purpose of our recent focus on statement writing and interview skills was to show our students how much work goes into preparing for an interview and that it’s not all about the interview day itself. “I was incredibly impressed with the students’ personal statements and how they conducted themselves in the interview skills session, but I was even more proud of them when I saw them step out of their comfort zones in the mock interviews and apply everything they had learnt so far. “The interviews are scheduled at an important time in the academic calendar and coincide with the launch of formal interview opportunities at colleges and apprenticeship providers. The skills and experiences learnt through these in-school activities actively help our students to prepare for the real-life application processes and interview situations that they will encounter in the coming months and years ahead. “The students showed themselves to be confident individuals who were willing to overcome their own nerves to impress our visitors. There was a real buzz as the students took their interviews seriously and worked hard to show themselves at their best. They were a credit to themselves and to the school.” Reflecting on the mock interview day from a visitor’s perspective, Melissa Sword, HSEQ and HR director at Sword Construction UK, said: “It was a well-organised event and hopefully insightful for the students who were themselves well-organised and engaging.” Chris Wilson, recruitment and engagement officer at Cranswick Country Foods, Preston, added: “It was great for the students to have the opportunity to practise important interview skills and they were receptive to the feedback given.” With many students having already met with representatives from local providers to put their learning into practise, interviews will continue into the new year and will take various forms including face-to-face meetings, telephone calls and, in some cases, will include online psychometric tests for access to apprenticeship and employment opportunities.   PHOTOS Careers programme 01: Year 11 students Mylie Spruce (left) and Laura Stott practise their body language skills during the interview skills workshop. [Photo Credit: Viki Foster] Careers programme 02: Mylie puts her skills to the test during a mock interview with Yvonne Kershaw, outreach and engagement coordinator at Catch Apprenticeships. [Photo Credit: Viki Foster] Careers programme 03: Chris Wilson, recruitment and engagement officer at Cranswick Country Foods, interviews Lola-Marie Weatherstone.  [Photo Credit: Viki Foster] Article by Tim Nuttall December 2024      

A digital copy is also available to view/download on our website. Please go to the NEWS section, then MAGAZINE:  

Direct link: https://www.withernseahigh.org.uk/news/magazine


The debut release features a roundup of news and events from the autumn term, plus dates for the diary, and student awards and rewards.

Initially launched as a newsletter to keep our school community connected during the Covid pandemic, WHS Connected is part of a wider vision to help celebrate success and recognise the hard work that takes place in school - both in lessons and through a broad spectrum of extra-curricular activities. 

The magazine complements our existing promotional channels where good news is regularly shared:

Website: www.withernseahigh.org.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withernseahighschool/ 

X (formerly Twitter); https://x.com/WithernseaHigh 

Press: Holderness Gazette

Approximately 140 students participated in a rotation of workshops that covered topics ranging from knife crime to county lines drug trafficking. Other sessions included ‘choices’, which explored the impact of domestic abuse, and ‘prison life’ which provided students with an opportunity to visit a mobile prison cell, housed in a specially converted van.

Volunteers were also given an opportunity to take part in a mock search scenario, conducted by prison service search dogs. To show the outcome of a positive result, one person was chosen to carry the scent of something detectable by the dog to demonstrate its response of stopping and sitting down to indicate that something had been found.    

Harriet Elvidge, co-organiser of the event said: “I would like to thank the Prison! Me! No-Way! team for yet another successful visit to the school. Our students responded in a really positive way to the hard-hitting stories and life-lessons that were shared on the day by taking a genuine interest in the causes and consequences of crime.

“With six different workshops on rotation, covering a range of contemporary issues, there was a lot for the students to take in. They handled all sessions with great maturity and will hopefully use them as a platform for reflection to ensure they remain positive members of the community.”

Reflecting on the day’s activities, one student said: “The highlight of my day was the knife crime workshop. I learned how easy it is to get caught with a weapon and that choices in the past can get turned around. I was also really surprised at how small the search dogs were - I thought they would have been bigger like a German Shepherd when, in fact, they were Springer Spaniels. It was also interesting to learn how the smallest amount of drugs can have a massive impact on lives.”

Another added: “The best thing about the day was the search dogs. I thought they were very clever. I also thought they would have been a lot bigger. In other sessions I learned how many people carry knives every day, which was shocking. I was also really surprised to hear how easy it is to get spiked, so in future I will be more aware.”

Set-up as the Prison! Me! No Way! (PMNW) Project by three Prison Officers from HMP Hull in 1993, PMNW has operated as a registered charity, The No Way Trust Ltd, since 1995. During this time, it has worked face-to-face with over 1.3 million children and young people nationwide.

The No Way Trust provides real-life learning experiences for learners between the ages of 8 and 18, collectively helping young people and their communities to reduce crime, reoffending and anti-social behaviour and contribute towards creating safer communities for all.

The trust encourages young people to stay safe and think carefully about the decisions that they make throughout their lives, helping them to positively manage the temptations of modern society, and the increasing risks posed through social media, to develop into law-abiding citizens.

Neil McCunnell, PMNW crime day coordinator, said: “Prison! Me! No-way! provides real-life learning experiences for young people to help reduce risky behaviour and prevent them becoming involved in crime. We want young people to think carefully about the decisions they make throughout their lives, to stay safe and continue their development into law-abiding citizens. Every young person should have the knowledge and confidence to take control; to stay safe and realise their full potential by making positive choices that avoid them becoming involved in crime.

“The students at Withernsea were superb throughout the day - they are very consistent, keen to learn and are a credit to the school. It’s always a pleasure to return to Withernsea High School and it’s always one of our smoothest and easiest days of the year.”

ABOVE: Head of additional provision, John Blades, joins year 9 students in helping to demonstrate a mock search scenario. 

ABOVE: Students were surprised by the size of the visiting prison cell.

The annual event, which aims to build interest, increase knowledge and promote careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), was held at the MKM stadium and attended by secondary school students from across Hull and East Yorkshire.

Students participated in a series of interactive workshops delivered by representatives from post-16 providers including Bishop Burton College and East Riding College, and businesses including civil engineering company CR Reynolds Ltd and multinational medical equipment manufactures Smith + Nephew.

Trip leader and Head of Design Technology, Amy Norris, said: “Our students fully engaged with the activities, including slime making, building a lava lamp, programming robots and testing model wind turbines, and it was clear that they enjoyed the hands-on approach to learning. This is something they can continue to experience as part of their DT lessons at school.

“They also took the opportunity to ask lots of questions, finding out about a variety of STEM-based careers in the NHS, forensic science, civil engineering and video game creation. They really took on board the information that was being shared regarding STEM career opportunities and post-16 courses in our local area”

As for the students themselves, Jack Johnson said: “I found the STEM event really interesting and learnt lots of new things. My favourite activity was the imagination gaming session as I beat Mrs Norris and my friend!”

Seren added: “I really enjoyed building a tower in the first activity session and I was glad that I was on the winning team. I was also pleased to have the opportunity to find out more about becoming a midwife, including career pathways and alternatives to going to university.”

Oliver said: “I found the talk about construction interesting because they explained how it links to science. I am interested in going into this field of work and I love science, so it's perfect for me.”

For Withernsea High School’s Careers Leader, Viki Foster, the timing of the Humber STEM event arrived at a beneficial time for Year 9.

Viki explained: “In the coming months, our Year 9 students will begin choosing their subject options for GCSE study. Learning about potential careers at this stage not only opens their eyes to new opportunities, it also helps them to make informed choices about their futures - the subjects they want to study, and the direction they would like to take after leaving high school.

“The Humber STEM event provided a valuable opportunity for us to help engage, inspire and educate our students. We were also pleased to reconnect with representatives from many local companies who continue to support the school’s careers programme through our own schedule of events.”

With technology growing at a rapid pace, including the increasing prevalence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and as engineering moves to tackle global climate and population change, STEM-related industries continue to grow and adapt to address local, national and global needs.

There is currently a strong demand across Hull and East Yorkshire for people with STEM qualifications, which are useful in both the manufacturing and engineering sectors. 

At present, manufacturing contributes 17% of employment in the Humber area, compared with 8.7% for England as a whole, with these numbers set to grow even further thanks to continuing investment in renewable energy and STEM-related projects to address climate change.

Humber STEM event organiser, Liam Johnson, said: “Humber STEM equips young people to meet challenges, build skills, learn about local industry and have fun whilst doing so. It has never been so important to enlighten pupils about how STEM is integrated into so many businesses. There is a real need to attract young people to sectors facing STEM/digital skills gaps and it is local businesses who can raise this engagement, acting as a catalyst in developing young people’s interests as they move through their education.”

 

 

 

 

 

Taking inspiration from Dickens’ classic ‘A Christmas Carol’, a text studied as part of the GCSE English curriculum, year 10 students have created decorations using a variety of production techniques.

Engineering students created their designs from cut aluminium, adding decorated elements of texture using stamp and hammering techniques, while Design Technology students used Photoshop computer software to create their designs before printing them onto polyester-based materials using a heat press. 

Amy Norris, head of DT, said: “My engineering groups enjoyed making their baubles and were excited that they would be on show for the school community to enjoy. They were able to recall lots about the storyline of A Christmas Carol in our group discussion, which led to them designing baubles that were relevant to the story. Many cut out intricate shapes, such as a grandfather clock, a flame and a snowflake, which takes a lot of skill and patience. 

“Meanwhile, Miss Hopewell's DT groups developed their Photoshop and dye-sublimation printing skills to create their bauble designs. The learning of this printing process will prove useful when completing their NEA (Non-Examined Assessment) next year.”

Laura Aldridge, lead for whole school literacy and reading, added: “The idea for the decorations was to help students to think more visually about key quotes, characters and themes from the novella and to use them as a tactile revision activity.”

Visiting the site of Amazon’s new £150-million fulfilment centre at Melton West Business Park, a group of twelve year 10 engineering students were afforded the opportunity to meet and interact with representatives from different backgrounds within the engineering sector, including a design engineer, the project’s lead planner and its overall project manager.  

Each representative offered an insight into their roles, explaining their routes through education, the courses they studied and the array of opportunities they have been afforded in their careers to date. Students were able to see the impact of these roles for themselves as they viewed the site up-close, witnessing the different skills, contractors and elements at work.

The students were also shown the CAD (Computer Aided Design) drawing of the full project before being given a tour of the site to see the digital designs come to life and watch the groundworks being completed.

Leading the trip was Head of Design Technology, Amy Norris, who said: “It was a very insightful day with lots of opportunities for our students to learn about engineering and careers in various fields. Our students represented the school well. They asked lots of questions and showed appreciation to all the staff who took their time to speak with them. A massive thank you to TSL Construction for having us.”

Among the students on the trip was Laci H who said, “It was interesting to see a complex CAD drawing, showing steel work, electrics and plumbing, and then see the actual building and how it all connected.”

Fellow student, Jenson P, added: “I was surprised that so many different drawings were required before the build could start.”

Currently under construction next to Amazon’s existing delivery station, the new fulfilment centre will occupy an estimated 52,000 sq m of space - with the development estimated to create the potential for up to 2,000 new jobs.

ABOVE: A civil engineer explains how they lay the concrete and how they get a smooth finish. 

ABOVE: Libby, Meredith, Laci and Ruby were among the twelve year 10 engineering students who signed up for the trip. 

ABOVE: The students were given a tour of the construction site and were interested to learn about the variety of jobs and responsibilities involved.