Students volenteering in Morocco

Nottingham University. Tom reflects that his experience in preparing for Oxbridge enabled him to be accepted at another highly regarded university.

The day of talks was followed by a visit to Oxford University for a campus experience day, where students were able to speak to current Oxford undergraduates and dine in the famous Oriel College dining hall.

Developing a new prototype for HS Marston Aerospace

This term Mr O’Malley, Head of Design & Technology, took Sixth Form students Alex, Carter, Dan, Rohan and Sam to Loughborough University for a two-day engineering workshop with engineers from HS Marston Aerospace Limited.

Considering a future in TV

Year 8 students were excited to visit Sky Studios in London to experience a day in the life of an employee at Sky. The 32 students enjoyed a tour of the studio, seeing the Sky media workforce in action; they even witnessed the live filming of Sky Sports.

The afternoon was spent at the Sky Academy, working in teams and using the latest technology to produce a short film. Students learnt about the different media roles, such as editor and camera operator, choosing from a range of green screen backgrounds, directing scenes and even choosing outfits from the wardrobe!

It was a wonderful day, with everyone leaving the studio excited about the prospect of a future career in TV and Media. Who knows, we might be seeing one of them on our screens in the near future? Thank you to Miss Kailey for organising this insightful trip.

Personally, I found Sky Studios very interesting and informative but most of all quite insightful as it showed me the roles and effort that goes into making a movie. I think that it was especially useful as it let me know that a career in media is not just acting but also editing and many other important roles. Even if you don’t want to be a news presenter or a reporter then maybe editing or filming from behind the camera is for you.

Faris

The visit was made possible through the Industrial Cadets Scheme, a nationally accredited programme that partners students with industry-leading experts. WGS has been participating in the Industrial Cadets Scheme, formerly known as the Engineering Education Scheme, for over 20 years and has partnered with the likes of GKN AutoStructures, Ansaldo Nuclear Engineering Services Limited and Corus Hot Rolled Processing Centre.

We asked Lower Sixth DT Scholar Dan, to tell us more about the project:

“Our partner company is HS Marston Aerospace Limited; we are designing a new test chamber for their dry matrix test stack (jet engine coolant transport plating their product). To do this we need to overcome various challenges such as pressure, creating an adequate seal to ensure it is airtight, and the cost of the solution, as well as many other issues. All the research for the product is done by us, then the partner company helps to ensure the data is correct and whether the design will work. We will then produce a final solution and present our design to the owners of the company, which they will then implement into their facility.

“In the workshop we were planning to make some basic to-scale models of our initial ideas, then improve upon them during our visit to Loughborough University. We started by sorting our pre-made pieces, which we cut at school using the laser cutter, into the areas they needed to be in for the start of construction. On the first day we assembled our first two designs and glued them, leaving them to cure overnight. The next day we began the construction of the final and most complex prototype. Loughborough University provided us with all the tools and equipment we needed to finish the prototype, as well as adding improvements and further detail to them. We used our additional time in the workshop to begin our product write-up and the documentation of the design and manufacture process. We also started to make a new prototype which is currently being researched and developed so it is up to standard with the other prototypes.”

Thank you to HS Marston Aerospace Engineer, Jack Law, and his colleague Ambrose Morris for their fantastic mentorship. The team will continue to work on the project until they are ready to make a formal presentation to HS Marston’s senior team, including their CEO.

Good luck to Eve and Nalin who have been supported by WGS to apply for an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship. To date 14 OWs have benefited from the scholarship programme since 2014. As well as a £500 bursary award, students are linked with an engineering company to gain valuable work experience.