Throughout 2022, The Millfields Inspired Widening Horizons Project embarked on a series of inspiring educational trips, taking year 5 students from Pilgrim Primary School, Marlborough Primary Academy, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School and many others on a journey of discovery and exposing them to a wide variety of workplaces and industries. From learning all about the National Marine Aquarium, to having student doctors visit their respective schools, and even expressing their creative side with BAS9 and KARST, Widening Horizons has provided students with the unique opportunity to learn about different careers and explore their interests.
We want to say a massive thank you to everyone that not only allowed students to visit them, but also for taking the time to educate and inspire them! Many of the students that went on one of our Widening Horizons trips went home with new aspirations for their futures as well as new interests in general – none of which would have happened without the amazing people that helped to make these trips possible. These trips have been proven to be a valuable resource in inspiring and guiding students to make informed decisions about their future education and career paths.
We are all very excited for all of the Widening Horizons trips that are planned for 2023 and can’t wait for another year of fun and education-filled days out! If any businesses would like to support the Widening Horizons programme then we would love to hear from you!
Keep an eye on our website for future updates from Millfields Inspired about our Widening Horizons trips as well as all other upcoming projects that we have planned in the community.
National Marine Aquarium
As part of our Widening Horizons program our year 5 have had an amazing time visiting the National Marine Aquarium where they get to go behind the scenes and meet some amazing members of staff who give them an insight to what their role is within the aquarium. They also had the chance to become engineers for the day by working out how to get sharks successfully out of their tanks by using different methods and making sure they are safe. What an experience for the children, and hopefully an inspiring one that the children can consider for their own future careers.
British Art Show 9 & KARST
The year 5 children from Pilgrim Primary School, have had a great time being creative, with the British Art Show 9, as part of the Widening Horizons’ Programme. They visited KARST and experienced some amazing contemporary art, as well as completing creative sessions with artist Anna Boland at the gallery, and also within their school. Working with the gallery and a freelance artist, enabled the children to fully appreciate some of the career opportunities available to them in this field.
National Marine Aquarium
The National Marine Aquarium opened their doors to two of our local primary schools, as part of the Widening Horizons’ Programme. The year 5 children from St George’s C of E Primary Academy, and Marlborough Primary Academy, were given special VIP access to behind the scenes areas, and met with an amazing array of animals and staff, as well as having a taster of being Marine Biologists! What an amazing experience for the children, and hopefully one that will have inspired them for when they consider their own career options!
Cattewater Harbour Commissioners
Cattewater Harbour Commissioners welcomed the year 5 children from St Andrew’s C of E Primary School into their ‘office’ as part of the Widening Horizons’ Programme. The children loved exploring the tug and pilot boat, learning about the origins of the cargo that goes through the port, and being treated to a boat trip in the sound. Staff shared with the children their career stories, which clearly inspired many of them, when asked about their own career aspirations!
Princess Yachts
What a wonderful time the year 5 children from Mount Wise Community Primary School had when they recently visited Princess Yachts, as part of our Widening Horizons’ Programme! The children were given a guided tour of the site, and saw yachts in the development phase, right through to completion. We met a wide variety of different employees, who shared with us their role within the process, including family members of two of the visiting children!
Medical Students Visit Marlborough Primary Academy
The year 5 children from Marlborough Primary Academy, had a lovely time when they were visited by the Widening Access Medical Students, as part of the Widening Horizons’ Programme. They learnt about their skeleton, practised washing their hands and finding their pulse, and investigated the items found in a doctor’s bag. Several of the children were very interested in pursuing this area of work as a career- which is what Widening Horizons is all about!
Foot Anstey Solicitors
The year 5 children from The Cathedral School of St Mary, had a wonderful time at Foot Anstey Solicitors, as part of the Widening Horizons’ Programme. They were secret agents interviewing members of staff to try and work out their roles, demonstrated their teamworking skills whilst building towers, and enjoyed sorting the post and calculating the price of postage. The children were made to feel very welcome in this professional office environment, and many of them were interested in pursuing a career in this area.
Murray Volkswagen Plymouth
We all had so much fun when Murray Volkswagen Plymouth welcomed the year 5 children from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary, into their workshop and showroom, as part of the Widening Horizons Programme. The children made promotional videos, prepared vehicles for collection, and practised using tools on an engine in the workshop. The enthusiasm that staff demonstrated towards their roles really shone through, and inspired the children to consider this area of work as a career option for them.
Karst Plymouth: Anna Boland Workshop
It was lovely to see the year 5 children from Pilgrim Primary School, be so creative at Karst Plymouth, during a recent workshop with Anna Boland. This was organised as part of the Widening Horizons Programme, and also BAS9. The children took such pride in their work. And who knows, maybe this session will have inspired a child to pursue their passion into their career.
Cattewater Harbour Commissioners
Cattewater Harbour Commissioners welcomed the year 5 children from St Peter’s C of E, Plymouth, into their ‘office’ as part of our Widening Horizons’ Programme. The children learnt about the origins of some of the cargo that goes through the port, explored the tug and pilot boat, enjoyed a boat trip in the sound, and had the opportunity to quiz staff about their careers. By the end of the session, two of the children had decided that this was the career for them!
British Art Show 9
The children of High Street, Millbay Academy, have had the opportunity to become fully immersed in the world of art, through the British Art Show 9, being hosted by The Box Plymouth and Karst Plymouth, as part of the Widening Horizons Programme. These sessions have enabled the children to gain an understanding of what being an artist is like, and allowed them to express their creativity!
Princess Yachts
The children from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary have been lucky enough to have a guided tour of Princess Yachts‘ South Yard, as part of the Widening Horizons Programme. They were able to see yachts in different stages of completion, and also learn some of the history of the yard. Being in such an immersive working environment, really sparked a high level of interest in this career option available to them!
Student Doctors Visit St Joseph’s Primary School
The year 5 children at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, had a fabulous afternoon with the Widening Access Medical Student Doctors, as part of our Widening Horizons Programme. The children experienced being a GP, investigated the effects of exercise on our hearts, practiced cleaning their hands, and learnt about our skeletons. It was so lovely to see the children enthused, inspired and full of energy when participating in this career focussed session!
Millfields Inspired: Widening Horizons Graduation
The year 5 children at Millbay Academy, Pilgrim Primary School, Marlborough Primary Academy and St Andrews Primary School celebrated their graduation from Widening Horizons in the summer. Thanks to this fantastic programme, the children have been able to explore different working environments, whilst being involved in fun, engaging activities. Some businesses host all of our schools, whilst some offer fewer trips. No matter what, every trip is amazing! We’ve been in submarines, delved into a doctor’s bag, discovered the weight of the class, read a letter from a turtle, practised laying brick paving, identified plants, seen behind the walls of a house, been at the top of the shark tank, and much much more. The children received a certificate and a little gift of a mug, to say well-done!
National Marine Aquarium
A visit to the National Marine Aquarium, Ocean Conservation Trust, by Widening Horizons, for the year 5 children at Marlborough Primary Academy and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School. We met so many lovely members of staff who shared with the children their career journeys, and we also had the opportunity to become marine biologists investigating the animals and ecosystems of the oceans. The children were able to try new experiences, and see first hand how there can be career opportunities linked to your passions and interests. Thank you to PCiP – Plymouth Children in Poverty for their support with this amazing programme!
If you would like to find out more about our Widen Horizon’s programme please visit the Millfields Inspired website.