The visit was designed to showcase real life Business, Economics and Product Design examples and how they are linked to the curriculum material covered in these subjects at GCSE and A Level.

On Thursday after an early start, the student and staff enjoyed visits to the Triumph Motorcycle Factory where we were able to tour the main production site and learn about the process of large-scale manufacture of a range of motorcycles. The students were able to see lean production and cell production and a range of capital intensive and labour-intensive processes. We were all rather surprised about the use of squirrel fur in the paint brushes used in the ‘pinstriping’ paintwork on the body of the motorcycles. After the factory tour, we enjoyed a talk about the company and some time to view the finished bikes – much interest was shown in some of the bikes that have been used in the James Bond and Mission Impossible films, bullet holes included!

After lunch, we spent the afternoon at Cadbury World. Firstly in an educational talk where we learned about the company, its ownership history and the market research processes used to gain insight into their target market and to guide them with the development of their brands. After the talk we experienced the 4D Cadbury experience ride and then a walking tour of the factory showcasing the production methods and marketing activities carried out by the brand. The students particularly enjoyed the hands-on activity of ‘tempering’ chocolate and of course the free chocolate!

After dinner and bed and breakfast at the the Royal Court Hotel, Coventry we departed for our final visit to Drayton Manor Theme Park on Friday. We had an educational talk which covered a brief history of the park and how it has turned itself around from bankruptcy to an award-winning family theme park. We then looked at Drayton Manor’s key marketing objectives and the strategies that the park has been using to achieve the objectives, including its increased use of social media and influencers. We further developed our understanding of the 4Ps of the marketing mix and how it is applied to the park.

Afterwards, the students were able to tour the park to experience the variety of rides and also the zoo. Some of us got a little bit wet on the water ride! Overall, everyone had a brilliant time, and we look forward to applying the knowledge that we gained in the classroom.