Drayton Welcomes Mill Ford School for Factory Tour and Fun STEM Activities

On October 23^rd 2025 we were so pleased to welcome back students from the Mill Ford School, an inspiring facility based in our hometown of Plymouth dedicated to meeting the needs of children and young adults with complex needs, which can make finding practical opportunities to engage with STEM more challenging.

Guided by our wonderful STEM Ambassador team, all registered with STEM Learning, the students took a tour of our factory, the bustling production lines, test labs and offices to meet the engineering teams that continue Drayton’s more than 75 years’ legacy of Made in Britain (link to company page) quality and performance. They gained valuable insight into a workplace environment and how our different teams and departments communicate to design and build our award-winning products and bring them to the market.

The Mill Ford students took part in our always-entertaining Ozobot coding and navigation game, which teaches reasoning, problem-solving and fundamental coding skills through helping the mini Ozobot robot travel along a winding road on their paper maps, using specific combinations of colours to indicate to the tiny robot what it should do at each point on its route.

Next, students put together basic electrical circuits in a creative LED greetings card activity, utilising copper wire, a battery and an LED to create a fun keepsake or gift for a loved one that lights up when opened, a lovely memory of their day and a great visual reminder of what they learned.

All of the day’s activities were led by our experienced STEM Ambassador team, and we’d like to thank them once again for their time and dedication to engage more young people in STEM with many positive benefits to their learning, whether they enter STEM careers in the future or not. Our STEM events and outreach runs across the year including individual work experience, school activity days, women in industry days, careers fairs and more.

As part of Schneider Electric, an Impact company, we believe strongly in inclusion and ensuring people of all abilities and backgrounds get the opportunity to explore STEM; we’re proud to be able to offer that within our local community. We were delighted by the students’ enthusiasm, curiosity and focus and we wish every one of them the very best as they navigate their exciting futures.
 

"Thank you all for giving our students a wonderful experience of the workplace again this year. They really did get so much from it and we appreciate the time and effort shown from all of your staff."

- Mill Ford School teaching staff

For more information about our STEM programs, work experience, apprenticeships and other opportunities, get in touch today.