MORAY’S RAF BASE has taken a new look at how it delivers Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics activities (STEM) to local schools.

Changes have been made by RAF Lossiemouth as part of the creation of a new Community Action Group at the Moray base.

A fully qualified STEM Outreach Team has been established led by Flight Lieutenant Fie Padbury and made up of volunteers from across the unit. The Outreach Team reflects the variety of trades in the RAF, and the ages and genders of RAF personnel.

The Outreach Team is available for secondary schools to pre-book each term for the delivery of one of eight STEM sessions. The content of the sessions has been agreed with Moray Council as being the best fit with both the Curriculum for Excellence and the Moray Pathways programme.

Milne’s High School were the first to take up the offer, and during the course of the morning Physics Department students were taken through a variety of short and fun ‘ice breaker’ challenges, STEM related problems, and team building exercises utilising RAF STEM specific training equipment.

This event proved to be a resounding success for Milne’s High School, drawing out a number of soft STEM principles – practical and creativity skills, planning, resource allocation and basic maths and analytical principles.

Mr Malcolm Thomson, Head of the Physics Department at Milne’s High School thanked the RAF Lossiemouth STEM Outreach Team, saying: “The Team certainly have lit a slow match in the minds of our students which I have no doubt will ignite in the future and benefit whichever career path they choose.”

Any school wishing to learn more about this new programme should contact Flt Lt Fie Padbury in the first instance on fiona.padbury147@mod.gov.uk

RAF Lossiemouth’s Community Action Group has been created to provide a coordinated, coherent and consistent engagement programme with local schools, groups, charities and the wider community, at a time of high operational tempo on the Station.