Building Bridges: Mount Senior Girls & Network Rail Partner for a Day of Careers & Construction
The Mount is committed to empowering pupils to excel in STEM and expanding opportunities for our senior girls in any career they wish.
Network Rail staff came to The Mount again for a stimulating day of challenges, tasks and discussion, this time with girls in Years 7 and 8.
Tasks included ‘Bridge the Gap’ where groups worked as a team to build a bridge, with moving obstacles along the way such as ‘costs of materials rising overnight.’ Pupils had to think on their feet and manage this tricky commission by allocating roles and deadlines.
Head, Anna Wilby, said:
“Thanks to Network Rail for another fascinating day. At The Mount we always remind our girls that the world is at their feet. We have a strong track record of pupil careers’ guidance where we were proudly nominated for Best Independent School for Student Careers 2025 in the Independent Schools Awards.
While our student careers guidance really thrives in Sixth Form, with our new Ignite programme where pupils enjoy a series of Spark lectures and invited industry speakers and old scholars pass on their advice and share their networks, we also focus on careers lower down in senior school, this time with Years 7 and 8.
In our Prep School, for pupils up to age 11, career options are deliberately introduced early. Our fantastic Enterprise Fair with Dragon’s Den panel, and products brought to market from ideas stage, showed this in action. Marketeers, finance directors and entrepreneurs came in to speak and run workshops with Prep school pupils to prepare them for bright futures.”
Hope, Year 8, said:
“I loved working in a team to complete the project of building a bridge with problems to solve along the way and hearing about the many careers at Network Rail. I also learned ‘believe and you can achieve’ and to listen carefully to your client’s brief when managing a project.”
Deputy Head of College/Sixth Form, Mr Waddington, said:
“This was a fantastic way to focus on equity in the workplace and give our pupils the opportunity to try out future career options. We are delighted to repeat this each year as it has been so valuable and well received. Huge thanks to the whole Network Rail team for their invaluable time and commitment once again.”
Jackie Judge, who has worked for Network Rail for many years, and is now a Senior Sponsor of the Rail Investment Centre of Excellence, said:
“This event shows girls the wide range of jobs that make up the railway system, a fantastic career choice as the railway industry welcomes everyone. Network Rail is proactively raising their profile as an excellent employer of women, as the rail industry still predominantly attracts men, but there are many great opportunities, as I know first-hand.”
Sharry-Ann Bonnar, who now looks after graduates and apprentices at Network Rail, said:
“Mount girls impressed me with their very sturdy bridges! I’m proof that women can do anything they’re interested in at Network Rail, and across the rail industry, having been a signal box and station operator, in track renewals control, a customer relations manager and line manager in fleet and engineering. Women who join us can really try anything, as it should be!”
To hear about the Enterprise Fair in Prep School, and the many other co-curricular opportunities pupils enjoy daily, The Mount is hosting a Prep School Open Morning on Friday 5 December, 9 – 11.30am, details at www.mountschoolyork.co.uk