24 March 2022
Miss Charlotte Owen, Head of Marden
Exploring potential future careers was wrapped up in a day of challenge, teamwork and fun for Year 8 students on Wednesday 23 March. On their National Careers Challenge Day, led by the Inspirational Learning Group, they were tasked - in groups – to design a brand-new ride or attraction for Thorpe Park (a theme park in Surrey) and to consider every aspect of their ‘product’ necessary to make it a success.
This included the queue line, an integral part of any ride experience. Many groups thought about shops or vending machines to help visitors pass the time. The groups had to identify a target customer for their attraction before creating a design concept and back story for their ride. They also developed ideas for associated products which could be sold in the Thorpe Park gift shop.
After all this hard work and creativity, the students pitched their ideas to the judging panel. The presentations were varied and extremely well-thought-out and the ride designs were excellent. We were even treated to some singing and dance moves to bring concepts to life. Well done to the winning team of Zia, Suri, Ruby, Orlagh, Amy, Lizzie and Hope (main photo).
The day was a great opportunity for Year 8 to think about a wide range of possible career options, including design, marketing, project management and engineering. It also allowed them to work out their personality profile and the sorts of careers they would be best suited to… time will tell.
