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From Westbourne to McLaren: Jasmine Accelerates Into Engineering
Westbourne Alumna Jasmine Secures Prestigious Engineering Placements with McLaren and the Francis Crick Institute
We are delighted to celebrate the achievements of former Westbourne pupil Jasmine, who left the school last year and has already begun carving out an exciting path in the field of Mechanical Engineering.
This summer, Jasmine completed a highly competitive one-week placement at McLaren’s Head Office in Surrey, an opportunity secured following Westbourne’s 2023 school trip to McLaren. Inspired by the visit, Jasmine worked hard to build and maintain professional connections, ultimately earning one of only a handful of placements offered to sixth form students nationwide.
During her week at McLaren, Jasmine gained insight across multiple departments, including machining, additive manufacturing, aerodynamics, gearbox, reliability, vehicle performance, and vehicle testing. A particular highlight was working alongside mechanical engineers in the reliability department, where she supported the investigation into the cause of failure in a specific Formula 1 car component. She also assisted in a seatbelt test, helping determine the force required for emergency removal in the event of a crash.
This invaluable experience has strengthened her ambition to study Mechanical Engineering at university, and she has recently submitted her UCAS application.
Jasmine also spent October half-term completing a second prestigious placement at The Francis Crick Institute, one of the UK’s leading biomedical research centres. There, she worked alongside mechanical engineers in the on-site workshop, where she observed the design and construction of specialist apparatus used by researchers in their experiments. She was even given her own project: creating a screw holder from scratch by interpreting engineering drawings and using workshop tools such as a bench drill. Jasmine also spent time with the facilities team, observing a generator test and learning about the wider operational demands of a research facility.
These two placements have given Jasmine a rich, hands-on understanding of the world of engineering and have further fuelled her passion for the subject. They are testament to her determination, curiosity, and commitment—and to the power of seizing opportunities that begin at school.
Everyone at Westbourne is incredibly proud of Jasmine’s achievements. We look forward to following her journey as she takes the next steps towards a future in mechanical engineering.
Headteacher Mr Edmanson said:
“We are immensely proud of Jasmine and everything she has achieved since leaving Westbourne. Opportunities of this calibre are exceptionally rare, and her success is a testament to her talent, determination, and willingness to seize every learning experience available to her. It is wonderful to see her building on the foundations laid during her time at Westbourne, and we have no doubt she will make a significant contribution to the world of engineering in the future.”
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