Warwickshire primary school teachers took part in a training session with engineers from Porterbrook engineers last Thursday (10 October) to help them to deliver the Primary Engineer Rail Programme for this academic year (2024/25).

Pupils in Key Stage 1 (ages 5 to 7) and Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 11) throughout the country take part in the programme, which is run through Primary Engineer, a non-profit organisation which aims to engage children with engineering.

By doing so, it hopes to encourage more young people to consider careers in professions involving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

The Rail Project bases itself on rail engineering, and provides teachers and pupils with creative and practical learning activities and projects.

In evaluations of the project in previous years, teachers involved reported that it had increased their understanding of engineering and how they can encourage engineering career aspirations.

Teachers also reported an improved understanding of the diversity challenges in engineering.

At this year’s training, teachers met the Porterbrook engineers who will support them during the year, as children in their classes build model trains.

Rolling stock leasing company Porterbrook funded the Rail Programme for schools in the West Midlands county of Warwickshire last year and the year before.

This year, children at ten primary schools will be involved.

Over the previous two years, fifteen hundred pupils in the area around the company’s Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre have participated in the programme.

The 135-acre Long Marston site is rail-connected, and has a 3.5km test track loop, storage for rolling stock, a training centre and office space.

Porterbrook took over the site in June 2021.