Pupils welcome helicopter visit to mark subject launch
Two pilots delighted youngsters at a county school by arriving to help with morning lessons in a helicopter.
The pilots, based at RAF Shawbury, landed just after 9.30am as children at the Old Hall School in Wellington took part in specially-organised STEM Day to celebrate the launch of a new subject – Innovation.
The children were all given a chance to see the inside of the helicopter and how it works as it remained at the school all day.
Old Hall has recently appointed a new head of Digitech and Innovation Mr Jerome Nogues and the helicopter appearance proved an exciting start to a day of innovative workshops for all pupils – aged from four to 11.
Head of Old Hall, Anna Karacan, said the school is committed to preparing young people for the world of the 21st Century, which led to the introduction of innovation as a subject.
“We wanted to launch it with something which would really engage the children and show them how exciting this subject will be,” she added.
“A special STEM and Innovation day, involving a visit from two pilots from RAF Shawbury, their helicopters, and their STEM ambassadors has proved the perfect way to unveil the latest addition to our curriculum.
“The ambassadors and pilots gave the children the opportunity to ask lots of questions, explore the helicopter and how it works, and take part in a carousel of innovation activities with both their team and the school's new Head of Digitech and Innovation, Mr. Nogues.
“‘Innovation at Old Hall is an opportunity for students to learn through projects, many of which are at the cutting edge of technology, which encourage them to be creative, persevere, collaborate, and rely upon each other's strengths.
"These projects will foster the key 21st Century workplace skills of teamwork, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. Most importantly, they will encourage students to experiment and learn from failure. They will utilise skillsets and knowledge gleaned from key curriculum areas of Science, Design and Technology, and Maths and will be productive, hands-on, and lots of fun.”
The pilots David Bouyac and George Thompson work with a mix of military – Navy, Army, and RAF – and civilians (Ascent) personnel, who teach students from all three Services at RAF Shawbury.
