Every year, we usually welcome more than 200 schoolgirls from across the county to introduce them to the opportunities that engineering has to offer. Whilst lockdown means that hasn’t been possible today, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate what has been a landmark year for engineering at THS.
We became the only school in the country to be recognised as an official club by Motorsport UK. A first in UK automotive history, this enables our students to be involved in high-profile events hosted by the organisation and even go all the way to operating trackside at international Formula 1 events.
To celebrate, last summer we welcomed girls from across Cornwall for a day of Formula 1 workshops including the chance to explore the car which helped Lewis Hamilton win his sixth world title.
Our Greenpower team once again made it all the way to the international finals at Silverstone and one car finished 48th in the UK. The team also, and perhaps more importantly, won the ‘Spirit of Greenpower’ award for the third time. The award recognises the crew which shows the greatest teamwork, resilience and calm in the face of adversity – qualities that the organisation believes every racing driver and pit crew should embody.
There were also celebrations for our Prep Greenpower team which, against nearly 600 pupils, won two trophies at the regional finals last summer.
Girls in Year 7, 8 and 9 have also been treated to day-long workshops with engineering specialists. Sessions have varied from designing the cities of the future with the consultants at WSP to programming a raspberry pi altimeter – the same technology students are using to help undertake research for the UK’s first geothermal electricity plant.
Our Aspiring Engineers programme continues to go from strength to strength. The bespoke programme introduces girls of all ages to the huge number of career paths on offer in this sector with workshops, mentoring and one-to-one support to best prepare them for the applications and interviews ahead. Last summer, there were celebrations for aspiring engineer Kitty who headed off to study a Masters in Mechanical Engineering at Loughborough.
The programme’s packed calendar has moved online during lockdown with girls treated to virtual lectures and seminars from software engineers, satellite specialists and even the chairman of an international carbon-free mobility organisation.
