In POLE POSITION

Why education workshops at Silverstone Museum are inspiring the next generation of motorsport stars

As families and fans flock to see the latest and most exclusive collection around of iconic Formula One racing cars and memorabilia currently being showcased at Silverstone Museum’s Exclusive Summer exhibition, the museum is also inspiring the next generation of racing heroes with its specialist education workshops.

School visits and engaging educational sessions, aimed at students of all ages, hosted year-round at the Silverstone Museum, are focusing on STEM and motorsport careers, successfully shining a spotlight on multiple motorsport industry opportunities.

Handling real parts of Formula One racing cars, driven by Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, help to inspire the young people who come to the museum as part of an education visit.

Since Silverstone Museum first launched its interactive, immersive, hands-on curriculum-focused workshops, thousands of young people from across the region, the UK and even international students have discovered how to forge future careers in the multifaceted motorsport industry. Steering the successful educational programme of workshops, staged in a dedicated learning studios overlooking the iconic Silverstone circuit and tailored to pupils aged from five through to university undergraduates, is former Headteacher and lifelong motorsport enthusiast Rob Jaina. Having worked within the education sector, including as a Head of Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools, Rob changed career gear to become Head of Learning & Engagement at Silverstone Museum nearly four years ago.

Exciting workshops, curated and created by Rob, delivered by his team of specialists, help participating pupils learn and enhance their understanding of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects and complement curriculum content. At Silverstone Museum, the team deliver workshops to all key stages from Early Years Foundation Stage to Key Stage 5. The workshops explore the technology, design and science of race cars and for older pupils, including university students, explore the additional possible pathways and career options within the motor racing sector. Rob highlighted how Silverstone Museum’s workshops are designed to deliver what ‘you cannot experience in school’.

Some of the world’s top teams competing in F1 are supporting Silverstone Museum’s mission to help inspire students to consider careers within the industry. Rob has been instrumental in building relationships with key F1 teams including Mercedes, Aston Martin and Alpine. His lifelong passion for all levels of motorsport has seen him involved with the sector as a volunteer and a marshal for more than two decades. His extensive experience has led to Rob being assigned as incident o cer at Silverstone Circuit, and for F1 Rob looks after the Hamilton Pit Straight start line for the British Grand Prix.

Rob says: “When it comes to creating the workshops at Silverstone Museum, my mantra has always been ‘do what you cannot do in school’. I started by collecting various parts of F1 cars including tyres and wings and then built the workshops around actually handling, looking at, feeling and touching these parts, which is so sensory.

“I wanted to ensure we catered for primary schools,” he continues, “and I also wanted to provide workshops all the way through to Sixth Forms and that evolved into engaging with the university sector as well. With my background I also wanted to ensure we o ered workshops for special schools.

“It’s not just about the driving, science and tech career opportunities within the sport, it is also about the marketing aspects, the sponsorship that the sport needs and relies on. At various levels, depending on the age of those in the workshop, we also look at design elements. We focus on careers, what is expected within the sport, what will make individuals stand out.

“We have engineered and developed the workshops, utilising the same car parts and technology, to make each session bespoke. This helps us ensure we make the workshops relevant for schoolchildren attending at a very young age, right through to the university undergraduates.” Rob adds: “We are delivering something that you cannot do in the classroom. We are literally letting them get hands-on with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s racing car wheels and racing car parts. We also ran a hugely successful outreach programme with schools and, due to its overwhelming popularity, that is something we will revisit.”

Participating pupils enjoy unique opportunities as part of the educational workshops, which include being able to explore outside and walk along the previously raced on, now retired piece of track at the world-renowned circuit.

Rob finishes: “They get an up-close view to watch some on-track racing with motorsport activities taking place most days throughout the year, enabling them to see what they have learned about in the workshop actually in action on the track.” silverstonemuseum.co.uk

In 2022 alone, Silverstone Museum’s education workshops were experienced by 8,500 young people and so far in 2023 the numbers already exceed this total.