A group of school pupils have toured the Armitage plant as part of an initiative to raise awareness of modern day careers in ceramics and pottery.
The 12 year nine and 10 students from Discovery Academy are taking part in the Stoke-on-Trent Ceramic Challenge, along with pupils from nine other schools in the city.
The challenge sees them working on three tasks: to design, develop and market a new ceramic fragrance bottle; to create a modern take on a traditional tea set and make it more appealing to the younger market, and; to develop a new marketing campaign to promote the importance of the ceramic industry to the world.
The winners will be chosen at a finals event in March and will work with ceramics companies and the British Ceramics Confederation (BCC) to implement their ideas.
Supported by the BCC and organised by The Inspirational Learning Group (ILG), the scheme aims to highlight the use of science and technology in ceramics and open the pupils’ eyes to potential careers in the industry.
Ben Cooper, Delivery Manager at ILG, said: “The feedback from the students was extremely positive and it’s helped them to understand the ceramic industry better.
“They were surprised by the amount of technology, such as the robotic arms, used in the production of ceramics and they were also taken aback by how large the factory was.
“Some students mentioned to me that they didn’t know toilets and sinks were ceramic!”
He added: “It was a really interesting tour for the pupils, their teachers and myself. I’d like to thank everyone at Ideal Standard who helped organise the visit for their generous hospitality and for helping the students to get an insight into the amazing world of ceramics.”