News and events
Our latest news and events give you an insight into life at school.
No items found.
Our latest news and events give you an insight into life at school.
During summer, Year 10 students had an exciting day visiting the Williams F1 Experience Centre in Grove, Wantage, accompanied by Mr Dye and Mrs Sherrington. The purpose of the trip was to immerse students in the beauty of innovation, teamwork, and to open their eyes to apprenticeship and career opportunities in motor sports and mechanical engineering.
The day was split into three engaging parts:
Team-Building & Construction Challenge
The morning began with a small team building activity to warmup. Then, students were given a hands-on challenge: design and build the nose of an F1 car. The catch? It needed to be durable(in order to take impact and protect the driver’s legs), yet also very light. The groups worked in creative and collaborative ways and were given a budget for materials to create their design. The best design was rewarded with Williams F1 hats!
Museum Tour
After the construction task, the students swapped over into a guided tour of the Williams museum. Highlights included seeing historic Williams cars through the ages (from the early Patrick Head and Ayrton Senna era's through to modern challengers)and understanding how technology and safety have evolved. Wesaw chassis and tubs (survival cells) that show the incredible engineering behind the scenes. Students also had the rare chance to handle a real Williams F1 steering wheel worth upwards of £50,000!
Racing Simulators
Finally, the trip ended with some friendly competition on the racing simulators. Mr Dye showed off his skills and came out victorious (of course), but many students gave him a run for his money! The simulators were realistic and hugely fun, a great way to test out what they had learned in the earlier activities about speed, reaction, and precision. Using the simulator gave a tangible sense of what drivers experience: controls, responsiveness and pressure.
A big thank you to the staff at the Williams Experience Centre for their excellent guidance and for making the learning both inspiring and enjoyable.
And finally we hope this experience will feed into students’ ideas as they complete their GCSEs and think beyond school.
For those interested, consider exploring STEM clubs, engineering workshops, or shadowing opportunities. Williams F1 and other motorsport organisations often offer programmes for young people keen to get involved.
Lift New Forest,
Long Lane,
Holbury,
Southampton,
SO45 2PA
