From the Factory Floor to the Classroom: BPF at the Polymer Study Tours

Two members of our BPF team recently traded their desks for a hotel, swapped their lanyards for hi-vis vests, and spent two days immersed in a programme that is quietly doing some of the most important work in polymer education across the UK. Here is what they learned:

What Are the Polymer Study Tours?

The Polymer Study Tours are free, two-day residential courses designed specifically for Design & Technology teachers working with students aged 11 to 19. They are built around three core pillars: expert-led learning about polymers, real-world factory visits, and practical classroom activities that teachers can take straight back to their students.

Crucially, the programme was developed in close collaboration with D&T teachers, so the content maps directly onto curriculum requirements. All sessions are delivered by experts from industry and academia, and the tours close with a final session led by a practising teacher on how to use the content in classroom teaching. It is a thoughtfully designed bridge between industry knowledge and everyday education.

What We Experienced

Fatima Cardoso, our Content and Marketing Executive, joined the Midlands tour at AMCOR, while Deon Nzou, our Industrial Issues Executive for Raw Materials, attended the East Yorkshire tour at BERICAP. While the host factories were different, the experience was very much the same in all the ways that mattered.

Each tour kicked off with an introduction to the host company, followed by a full factory tour in the afternoon. Earplugs in, shoe protectors on, hi-vis vests zipped up, the group walked the factory floor and saw polymer manufacturing up close. For Deon, it was eye-opening: "Attending the Polymer Study Tours opens your mind the way polymers open possibilities, flexible, resilient, and endlessly inspiring. It was especially great to see the production site at Bericap, and I now look at my drink bottle caps with a renewed sense of respect for precision and quality!"

Sessions on the applications of polymers and their environmental considerations rounded off the day before the group headed to a nearby hotel for a conference dinner. Teachers from across the UK had genuine time to connect over dinner in the evening and breakfast the next morning, and those informal conversations are often where the best ideas get shared.

Day two brought hands-on practical sessions using readily available resources to demonstrate key polymer concepts. Teachers learned activities specifically designed to be replicated in their own classrooms: heat forming thermoplastics using heat guns and cutting mats to show how materials can be reshaped; density testing with water and scales to identify different polymer types; creating shrink plastic projects like custom keychains and tags; and working with actual manufacturing pellets to understand raw material properties. For Fatima, this was one of the most valuable parts: "Being able to see how polymer science is explained to teachers, and what activities they take back to students, has made a real difference to how I approach our own communications. I feel much more confident writing about these materials now that I have seen them in context." The programme closed with a final session led by a practising teacher on how to bring everything back to the curriculum, and both team members left with a certificate and a much clearer picture of how this programme serves both teachers and the wider industry.

Why This Matters to the BPF

The Polymer Study Tours are supported by the British Plastics Federation alongside the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3) and the Worshipful Company of Horners. Our involvement reflects a straightforward belief: the future of this industry depends on the next generation understanding it.

When a D&T teacher leaves one of these tours with deeper knowledge of polymers, more confidence in the subject, and a set of practical classroom activities, that knowledge reaches hundreds of students over the course of their career. The feedback from teachers speaks for itself:

"I feel it is vital that I am able to use real-world examples of the polymers that I teach. The site visit was a great way to bring both the science and design aspects of the plastics industry together, in a way that has deepened my understanding of the subject."

"The course exceeded my expectations by far, and I am confident it is going to transform my teaching of the subject. The course was incredibly well designed and paced with a packed and diverse agenda, all of it interesting."

Attending in person reinforced for us just how well the programme is run. These tours are not a token gesture towards education outreach. They are a genuinely high-quality programme that deserves wider recognition.

Get Involved

The Polymer Study Tours work because both sides show up: teachers who are willing to give two days of their time to deepen their knowledge, and an industry that is willing to open its doors and share what it does. Without either, the programme would not be what it is.

If you are a Design & Technology teacher, or know one, the tours are open to practising and trainee teachers from all regions of the UK, and they are completely free. We would encourage anyone eligible to apply.

The next Polymer Study Tours will take place on the following dates:

• Lancashire Polymer Study Tour, hosted by Victrex in Thornton Cleveleys, on 14 and 15 June 2026
• North East Polymer Study Tour, hosted by Biffa Polymers in Seaham, on 3 and 4 July 2026
• East Yorkshire Polymer Study Tour, hosted by BERICAP in Hull, on 6 and 7 November 2026
• Midlands Polymer Study Tour, hosted by AMCOR in Rushden, on 27 and 28 November 2026

If you are a plastics industry professional, consider supporting the programme through sponsorship. The Polymer Study Tours rely on industry funding to remain free for teachers, and sponsorship directly enables more tours, more places, and a greater reach across UK schools. Your support helps ensure that the next generation understands the value and impact of our industry.

To learn more about the available sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ms. Fozia Ghadiali at the British Plastics Federation.

Find out more about the Polymer Study Tours on the BPF website or visit the IOM3 page for full details on how to apply.

The polymer industry has a remarkable story to tell. Initiatives like the Polymer Study Tours make sure it reaches the people who can pass it on.