The Year 6 pupils went on the trip as part of the Children Challenging Industry project, which aims to enthuse schoolchildren about careers in science.The 10 and 11-year-olds were given a tour around the factory floor, before mixing paint colours and experimenting with weights, volumes and densities.

Teacher Andrea Hughes said: "The children have enjoyed themselves and learned so much to take back to the classroom.

"It is important children get an opportunity to see what science is about and think about it as a career choice."

And project organiser Tanya Shields, of York University, added: "Children often have a perception industry is all dark and dingy.

"There is a shortage of people taking science into further education, so we hope the project will have a positive impact on that in a few years time."

The children were all very excited about the paint factory and said they were now thinking about careers in science.

Kallhen Sowerby (11) said: "The part I enjoyed most was mixing the paints because I got really close to the peach colour on the card."

He added he had been hoping to become a writer but was now considering a career in industry.

Scarlett Ellson (10) said: "It has been really fun.

"I would like to have a job here in the lab because finding the colours and getting it right was really fun."

And Brendon Beak (10) said: "I might have a career in a paint factory now. I would like to be an engineer. If I do work at the paint factory I would like to do the experiments to set all the colours."

Jotun Paints operations manager Mike Young said the day had been fun for staff as well as the schoolchildren.

He said: "The children have really enjoyed the tour and the experiments we have been doing, and we have too.

"It has been useful to tie this practical work in with what they are doing on their curriculum."

This article has been provided by www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk