Nine Lower Sixth pupils had the rare opportunity to visit the Diamond Light Source within the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories (RAL)in Oxfordshire.

The Diamond Light Source generates beams of light from infrared to X-rays, and these beams of light allow scientists and engineers to probe deep into the basic structure of matter and materials, answering fundamental questions about everything from the building blocks of life to the origin of our planet.

During the visit pupils saw first-hand, the electron storage ring of the Source.  It was a truly amazing experience, and one they were very lucky to have experienced as this area of the facility is generally not open for public viewing.

Pupils also took part in a masterclass and workshop, titled “Engineering – Your Future” where they met with prospective future employers in the field of Engineering, and learnt about the diverse range of career opportunities available in the field.  Additionally, they took risks, stepped out of their comfort zones and wrote their own program to instruct automated robots for tasks.

What a fantastic practical learning opportunity this was for the pupils, and they all left feeling truly enlightened and in awe of all that they learnt and experienced.