DP World Southampton welcomes Portswood Primary School children for educational tour

Portswood Primary is the latest local school to visit DP World Southampton, with pupils learning more about how operations at the quayside, container processing area, rail freight hub and terminal buildings all contribute to helping trade flow. 

Miss Amy Jones, year three teacher at Portswood Primary, thanked DP World for facilitating the tour, during which the students were introduced to straddle carriers - designed to lift containers moved by quay cranes and then transport them onward. She said: ‘The highlight was driving into the port and the children shouting, ‘straddle carriers.’

Some of the students also offered their favourite moments, which included ‘enjoying looking at how the containers were put on the ship’ and ‘finding out how the straddle carrier picked up the containers.'

Steve McCrindle, Port Operations Director at DP World Southampton, said: “It was wonderful to welcome Portswood Primary School for a tour of our port here in Southampton. The children were engaged and energetic, with a real sense of youthful wonder and enthusiasm for the scale of the site, whilst the spider-like movements of the straddle carriers were a particular highlight” 

“By showing students the daily workings of Britain’s second largest container port, we hope that we were able to bring to life how their new televisions or fresh fruit come to arrive at their homes. We also very much hope that some of them will think about coming back to work with us when they grow up.” 

DP World operates the country’s smartest logistics hubs; two deep water ports with freight rail terminals at Southampton and London Gateway. Education is one of DP World’s three primary sustainability priorities.