St Luke’s Primary explore engineering careers at Thames Refinery

Pupils from St Luke’s Primary School visited Thames Refinery last week to discover what it means to work in engineering and see how different engineering roles help keep the refinery running safely and efficiently.

The Year 3 class joined us as part of their World of Work Week, which introduces children to different careers and workplaces. With career aspirations beginning to form from a young age, the visit was a chance for pupils to explore what engineers do, where they work, and the many routes into engineering.

The tour began in the raw sugar shed, where pupils saw where raw sugar is stored after arriving at the refinery. They learned how engineers help manage the movement of raw sugar through the site and improve the efficiency of the equipment used in the process.

In the refinery control room, pupils spoke to operators about how they monitor each stage of production. They discovered how the control room acts as the “brain” of the refinery, helping teams oversee the refining process and respond quickly when needed. The visit also introduced pupils to the role of Control Systems Engineers, who help maintain and improve the systems that keep the refinery operating smoothly.

The class then visited the engineering workshop, where they met mechanical and electrical engineers and apprentices. Pupils saw a steel centrifuge basket, which is used to remove water from sugar crystals during the refining process, as well as a motor being repaired and refurbished by the electrical engineering team. They also had the chance to see some of the tools used in the workshop and ask our apprentices about how they became engineers.

One of the highlights of the visit was seeing the Automated Guided Vehicles, or AGVs, which move sugar from the packing machines into storage before it is loaded onto lorries for delivery to supermarkets, restaurants and other customers. Pupils learned how software engineers programme the AGVs to move pallets of sugar safely between packing, storage, and loading.

Our engineers were impressed by the pupils’ enthusiasm and the number of thoughtful questions they asked throughout the visit.

Young people can only aspire to the roles they know exist. By opening our doors to local schools, we hope to enable pupils in Newham to discover the opportunities available in engineering and inspire the next generation of problem-solvers.