Pupils at Walford Nursery & Primary School in Ross got off to a flying start this year whilst working alongside an RAF Youth STEM Team who aim to engage and inspire the next generation of innovators, aviators and engineers.

Isaac and Katie, pupils in Year 6, said, "After an exciting day with our visitors from the RAF, we were inspired to follow our dreams and become future engineers!" whilst Noah said, "This has been the most fun day in Year 6 so far!"

The whole school community also enjoyed celebrating with pupils, past and present, who had won a prestigious South West England Primary Engineer Leaders Award.

This remarkable STEM award, managed in partnership with the University of the West of England Bristol, asked primary and secondary school pupils a questionâ?¦ ’If you were an engineer, what would you do?’

Headteacher, Louise George, said: "Pupils at Walford are always ready to take on a challenge and all participated with great enthusiasm to find a solution for a variety of engineering dilemmas.

’’Once again, we have been overwhelmed with the amount of creativity generated and this year, it has been particularly thrilling to see a pupil in Year One and in our Nursery win one of these fabulous awards!"

Past pupils, Sam (Year 8) and Nathaniel (Year 7), together with Maisie (Year 6) and Isla (Year 4) received a belated 2020 engineering award, alongside two of Walford’s youngest ever winners, Christopher (Year 2) and Harry (Year R), who secured a 2021 engineering award for their year group across the south west region.

Sam impressed staff and children alike when he said: "Engineering is all about solving problems. To be successful you have to have to stick at it, even when some of your ideas fail."

Frank Myers MBE, chairman of the Herefordshire Business Board, was delighted to attend the celebration assembly in order to present the engineering awards.

He said: "We are so lucky to have such an ambitious and high performing school in our midst and once again the young people, across all age ranges, have shown outstanding performance in these awards.

’’The sense of achievement which shines out of each winner is inspiring to see and I am sure, fuels the ambition of those who were not fortunate to win this time.

’’It also shines out of the teachers and staff whose sense of pride at the achievement of their young people always inspires me.

’’I greatly value my relationship with such an excellent school and, as an engineer myself, I particularly welcome how the school includes these wider perspectives into their curriculum."

Paul Deneen OBE JP DL, chair of the Board of Governors said: "On behalf of the governing body, I would like to extend our congratulations to the pupils who have won these impressive engineering awards and to the families for their continued support, both of their children and the work of the school.

’’Huge thanks also to Louise George, Headteacher, and the incredible staff team who work extremely hard to stimulate inventive thinking and to encourage creativity through exciting projects such as the Primary Leaders Engineering Award."