BP&R Editor Giulia Daniele visited Laurus Ryecroft’s Design & Technology (D&T) department, which has embarked on a polymer project in partnership with prea Ltd. This aims to introduce pupils to the world of plastics, exposing them to real-life applications and preparing them for a career in the industry.
laurus ryecroft
From the outside, you may think it’s a school like any other. And in some respect, it is. The lunchtime break is a rush of adrenaline, crowded with pupils catching up on the morning’s fun before the bell brings everyone to a halt again. What you may not know – and that’s why we’re here – is that Laurus Ryecroft is an Ofsted-outstanding-rated secondary school for 11–18-year-olds students with a thriving Design & Technology (D&T) department, headed up by Mr Ciaran Ellis, alongside Mrs Kinnaird and Miss Merry.
Opened four years ago, D&T slowly made a name for itself across Greater Manchester and beyond. And it’s easy to see why. At the heart of the department is a simple yet often neglected concept: show students that there’s a strong link between what they learn in school and what they may go on to do in life. As Mr Ellis said, “Playing YouTube clips is nowhere near as good as letting them have a go. They sit through many lessons, often wondering what the point is. This is about showing them the point. And if we’re ever going to solve any recruitment crisis, we have to start at the school level.”
Over the last 18 months, Laurus Ryecroft D&T has been carrying out a polymer project with a group of 40 passionate students. This was instigated by prea Ltd on a voluntary basis as a way of giving back and promoting the industry, starting at the grassroots level. prea Ltd has donated and loaned equipment and materials to help the school shape this mission. Other companies have offered support, including Wells Performance Materials, the Manchester Polymer Group (MPG), CR Clarke, AEM Plastics and Hubron.
The project began with sourcing virgin materials to use in an injection moulder donated by MPG. The team used a 3D printer to produce moulds for the injection moulder, enabling students to injection-mould products they had designed using either recycled or virgin materials. They also purchased a shredder to process HDPE bottle tops for reuse, as well as a plastic bottle recycling machine that converts bottles into 3D printing filament.
This way, the pupils can see recycling in action, as Bailey M. (Year 11) commented, “It’s great to learn that there are different types of plastics and not just one way to recycle them. Making products out of them and seeing their real-life impact on the environment has opened my eyes to a new world.”
Millie, also Year 11, added, “Before starting to have an interest in engineering, caring about plastic and what happens to it never really crossed my mind. Studying it made me realise that we as a country don’t put enough time and effort into recycling properly. And even if you think something is recycled, it can still do some harm. You need to make sure it has minimal effects on the environment.”
It’s refreshing to see pupils reinforce the importance of proper recycling and hands-on projects. The fact that the industry is currently experiencing a skills shortage is no secret, and this is largely due to plastics being demonised by the media. It’s no longer a simple misunderstanding; it’s miseducation, and it’s hurting the sector. Exposing young minds to such projects gives them a solid understanding of what the reality is, as Mr Ellis noted, “They’re the ones who need to understand this to solve the problems of the future. We have the ability to catch their imagination and mould them into the employees we want going forward. It’s crucial to bring talent in from a young age to give them the best chance in the industry.”
However, there are always two sides to each story. And the other side isn’t as cheerful as the students I had the pleasure of meeting. As Miss Merry highlighted, around 20% of D&T departments have been forced to shut down because of budget cuts. Many are dropping valuable equipment, such as laser cutters and 3D printers, because they lack the resources to maintain them, making D&T a predominantly design-based curriculum.
Funding and collaboration are essential to supporting the next generation. “It’s about working together with the industry to find ways to partner up and solve each other’s problems. It’s also about improving not only the wider environment, but the environment that these students will eventually work in”, as Mrs Kinnaird stated. She continued, “I think the industry has turned a corner, recognising that it has neglected STEM for a long time, and that the world’s actually built on materials.”
The school is now calling on businesses and industry experts to get involved by bringing real-world projects into schools. This includes those willing to donate or loan equipment and materials, as well as professionals interested in talking to students. The aim is to carry out more projects like the polymer initiative, but with other materials such as rubber and nylon, demonstrating a broader range of applications.
When asked if the polymer project had motivated them to pursue a career in the industry or simply think outside of the box, the pupils responded positively. Ayaan (Year 12) said, “In my previous school, I didn’t do D&T, but we learnt about plastics and polymers in chemistry. It was just the basics. Here, everything is explained in depth, which I wouldn’t have known without working in the workshop with real materials.”
Millie added, “D&T is my favourite subject. It gives us creative freedom, and that’s a really special thing. We aren’t limited to one thing – we can experiment.” On this point, Bailey M. added, “It teaches us to rethink our steps. I think carefully about each stage before I do anything now. Even if something seems sustainable, it could still affect the environment in ways I don’t realise.”
Walking down the school’s halls reminded me that possibilities seem endless when you’re so young. But if you don’t have anyone showing you the way, how are you supposed to find them? “All I want is for people to get in front of these kids and show them there’s a career path beyond school. And if you’re worried they won’t listen, just be enthusiastic. I can assure you – they will be, too”, Mr Ellis concludes.