Students at Duke of Lancaster School in Fakenham were treated to a visit by a Ferrari 12Cilindri, after motoring journalist and car reviewer, Alan Taylor-Jones, brought in the car to accompany a talk on future career pathways.
Alan, a journalist at CAR Magazine, delivered an inspiring talk about alternative roads to success based on his own journey as a non-university graduate. After his talk, students had the opportunity to explore and sit inside the Ferrari, which was provided by Bauer Media Group.
Alan said: “I didn’t do a degree, and now I have my absolute dream job. I wanted to show the students that anything is possible, and you don’t always have to progress down the academic route or go to university to succeed. The most valuable thing is to learn by doing. The students I met were already doing that – they were very interested and asked fantastic questions. I hope that hearing about my career will give them the courage and drive to follow their dreams.”
Duke of Lancaster, part of Eastern Education Group, is a special school in Fakenham, Norfolk, dedicated to supporting students with complex communication and behavioural needs. The school provides a nurturing learning environment which builds confidence and inspires students to achieve success.
Following Alan’s visit, students were invited to enter a creative writing competition in which they will work to create the best headline for a news article about the Ferrari. The competition, designed to support students’ literacy skills, will be judged by Alan with a prize being awarded to the winners of a primary and secondary age category.
Students left the assembly inspired and ready to write. “The best thing about today was sitting inside the car, and I can’t believe how fast it can go,” said Rhys (Year 9). “I have already started planning for the competition.”
Isaac (Year 10) agreed: “Today was really good fun and I loved sitting inside the Ferrari! I’m so excited for the writing competition too.”
Elizabeth Barneveld, Head of School at Duke of Lancaster, said: “We’re so grateful to Alan and Bauer Media Group for delivering this inspiring event which builds on our programme of enrichment activities at Duke of Lancaster. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students, many of whom are interested in cars, to make learning tangible and really engage with discussions about their futures.”
Penelope Taylor-Jones, English Lead at the school, commented: “Literacy can be a particular struggle for those with an autism diagnosis, so linking writing with a key interest – such as cars – is a brilliant way to get students engaged. Hearing from Alan about his career was a great framework for students to consider their own futures and the wide variety of paths they could take.”
