The Business and Economics departments recently hosted a successful educational excursion to the JCB World Headquarters in Rocester. The trip was designed to provide our GCSE and A-Level students with a "boots-on-the-ground" look at one of the UK’s most iconic manufacturing giants.

JCB is a global powerhouse in the construction and agricultural sectors. During the visit, students moved beyond their textbooks to gain firsthand insight into the business perspective of production. The trip allowed them to witness:

• The Design Process: How a concept moves from the drawing board to a multi-ton machine.

• Manufacturing Techniques: The precision and efficiency required for large-scale industrial assembly.

• Global Logistics: How a British brand successfully manages manufacturing facilities across four continents.

A Message from the Department

Our Business Studies teacher, Miss Platt, noted the impact the experience had on the group:

Textbooks can explain the theory of lean manufacturing and production scales, but nothing compared to seeing the sheer precision of an active assembly line. This visit truly brought the syllabus to life, giving our students a competitive edge in their studies by helping them visualise the complex processes we have discussed in class.

Highlights of the Day

The itinerary provided a comprehensive look at the company's operations. The visit began with welcome refreshments and a short presentation in the JCB Theatre, which showcased the company's global manufacturing facilities and diverse product range.

The highlight of the day was the factory tour, where students observed exactly how the famous Backhoe Loader machine is assembled. Seeing the synchronised efforts of robotics and human engineering solidified their understanding of operational management. To wrap up the day, students visited the JCB Shop to see the brand's merchandising and retail strategies in action.