Astronaut Tim Peake visits Doncaster academy to inspire youngsters

At Sir Thomas Wharton Academy, every member of staff firmly believes that exceptional experiences for the students should be at the heart of all that they strive to achieve.

Having the astronaut Tim Peake visit the academy for the afternoon was a prime example of them achieving their vision and growing the aspirational culture of the school.

STWA STEM Club students were joined by staff and students from Maltby Manor Academy, Maltby Redwood Academy, Maltby Academy, Wath Academy, Ravenfield Primary Academy, Edlington Victoria, Edlington Hill Top School, Willow Primary School, Carr Lodge Academy, Mallard Primary School, and Maltby Lilly Hall Primary to engage in some STEM activities together ahead of Tim’s arrival.

There were some brilliant examples of stable structures made with dried spaghetti and marshmallows, with the students proving that they are indeed STEM superstars by showing a great deal of enthusiasm and problem-solving skills.

Each school had prepared an aspirational letter to Tim, telling him their interests and hopes and dreams, as well as how his story has inspired them.

Tim arrived in time to hear a few of these letters, and it was clear that inspiring children to follow their dreams is something that is important to him as he was visibly moved by the students’ words.

All of the letters have been passed on for Tim to enjoy reading.

Then it was time for Tim to take the stage, and it was the students’ turn to be amazed and inspired further than they were already.

Everyone listened intently as Tim spoke of his incredible journey to space and how he was able to fulfil his dream of becoming an astronaut. To bring the event to a close, Tim answered a wide range of interesting and thought-provoking questions from students and was kind enough to have photos taken with everyone. Students were visibly in awe of the fact that they were meeting ‘a real-life astronaut’ and were certainly inspired by Tim’s story as it gave them a true-to-life example of a person fulfilling their dreams and never giving up. This message forms the basis of one of the values at STWA and serves to further inspire the aspirations of the students.

Speaking on social media following the event, Tim said “Thank you for having me. I had a great time. So many brilliant questions and so many bright futures ahead of you all. Keep aiming high.”

This event was the inaugural “An audience with…” being held at STWA, and staff intend on holding more of these in the future to further inspire the aspirations of the students. It was clear from this event that the school is proud to align its aspirational culture and vision with that of inspirational people in the public eye, and the intention is to continue in this vein with more inspiring visitors in the near future.

Everyone at STWA is proud to know that some of the students will talk about and never forget the “day they met a real-life astronaut”!