A Hertfordshire school welcomed British Astronaut, Tim Peake, through its school gates recently, for a captivating live talk which gave students from schools across the region a glimpse of what it is like to live and work in space.
The ‘out of this world’ interactive session saw Tim share a number of thrilling stories and insights with the students, igniting a newfound excitement for space exploration.
Delighting them with some remarkable tales from his time aboard the International Space Station, his imaginative storytelling sparked a great deal of curiosity and questions amongst the students.
From the excitement of rocket launches to the marvels of zero gravity and first-hand insight into what it is like to do a spacewalk, the pupils learned that being an astronaut is not just about the technical aspects.
Tim was keen to emphasise the importance of teamwork and resilience too, explaining how successful space missions depend on these vital qualities.
Joshua Plotkin, Director of Partnerships at Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools commented on the importance of events like these. He said: “While most of our partnership work with schools focuses on supporting the day-to-day teaching of the curriculum, we also strive to provide our partner schools with opportunities to build experiences for their students outside of the usual range of possibilities. The chance for them to come and interview the only British man ever to have completed a spacewalk was too good to resist.”
During his talk, Tim also encouraged the students to dream big, work hard and quite literally, reach for the stars. His words left a lasting impact on the students and the enthusiasm and buzz in the room was electric.
One student said, the talk made them think more about the world above rather than simply the one around them and inspired them to open their eyes and explore more about space through research. While another student also left the talk feeling motivated saying it had inspired them to become an aerospace engineer.
“Not many people can say that they’ve had a conversation with a real live astronaut,” added Mr Plotkin.
“Tim Peake’s visit to Habs may have even sparked the aspirations of a future generation of astronauts. Part of our goal for events like this is to broaden horizons and raise the aspirations of the students we work with.
“Our Partnerships Programme also looks to provide mutual benefit by creating opportunities for Habs students to build their communication and leadership skills as well as their resilience and adaptability. Habs students are at the heart of the programme, with 371 of them involved every single week in the school’s partnership work; there’s no question that they get as much out of their experiences as our partner school students do.”
The event was attended by pupils from Habs Boys’ and Habs Girls’ School, as well as by pupils from some of Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools partnership schools including Cowley Hill Primary School, Fair Field Junior School, London Academy, Monksmead School and How Wood Primary School.
