RAF swoops in for Shropshire school's challenge day

The crew, from the Defence Flying School, based at RAF Shawbury, joined soldiers from E Company 8 Rifles and British Airways pilots to inspire and challenge students at Adcote School for Girls, at Little Ness.

The school’s three houses - Innage, Glenmore and Haughton - battled it out in a series of physical and mental challenges.

The Army put students through their paces with a paintball target shooting and tactical course and navigation and orienteering exercise. Students also got a taste of tank-driving and parachuting via Visual Reality and had a go at landing a Boeing 787 passenger plane in a flight simulator.

British Airways pilots Joanne Hunter and Andy Roberts were on hand to give students an insight into what it is like to take the controls of a large jet while RAF pilot Captain Charlie Hay and air and space operations specialist Corporal Nat Adams gave youngsters an insight into life in the Army Air Corps and the RAF.

Recycled

Other activities included an Escape Room challenge, defusing ‘a bomb’, creating fashion from recycled materials, recording a radio play and producing a newspaper front page to report on all the day’s events.

Adcote School’s House Challenge Days are held once every term to introduce students to new experiences and develop their team and leadership skills, confidence and resilience.

Headmistress Diane Browne said: “It was a memorable day which started with the excitement of watching the RAF helicopter land in the school grounds. Students enjoyed getting stuck into the activities and, perhaps, discovered something new about themselves.

“Challenge Days are an important aspect of our character-building CLEAR learning programme. They provide stimulating and fun opportunities for our girls to build their confidence, demonstrate leadership, engage with the activities and achieve.”