21 May 2025
We’re excited to announce that the Saxon Air INSPIRE: Alpha programme is now officially in flight!
At Saxon Air, we believe that careers education shouldn’t start at 16. It should begin with imagination, stories, and the chance to dream—long before students even know what a CV is. That’s why we launched the INSPIRE: Alpha Programme – a dynamic and immersive aviation-themed initiative tailored for primary school pupils aged 5 to 11. And we’re thrilled to share that the programme is now live, with our first schools already participating!
We’re inviting teachers and schools across Norfolk and Suffolk to join the journey. If you’re passionate about broadening horizons, raising aspirations, and giving your pupils an unforgettable experience, this is for you.
Why the INSPIRE: Alpha Programme?
We often hear about the shortage of pilots, engineers, and STEM professionals. But we rarely talk about the fact that by the time many young people reach the age of career decision-making, they’ve already ruled out many possibilities—sometimes without ever being exposed to them in the first place.
The INSPIRE: Alpha Programme aims to bridge this exposure gap by introducing children to the wide world of aviation in a way that is age-appropriate, engaging, and inspiring.
But this isn’t just about flying planes.
Through creative literacy activities, design and problem-solving tasks, story-based adventures, and visits to the Saxon Air hangar, children learn about roles as diverse as drone pilots, meteorologists, engineers, ground staff, and air traffic controllers. They meet real people doing these jobs—many of whom don’t look or sound like the stereotypes you might expect.
This is careers education done differently. And it’s already making a huge impact.
What Makes It Special?
Curriculum-linked and fully resourced – Each stage includes downloadable packs, stories, videos, and activities to support teachers in delivering engaging sessions without additional planning burden.
Diverse role models – We actively feature a wide range of professionals from across the industry, helping every child see themselves in aviation.
Real-world exposure – The programme includes the option to visit Saxon Air’s operational site, giving pupils the rare opportunity to see an active hangar, meet pilots, and even watch electric aircraft in action.
Completely free – We believe access should not be limited by cost. We are offering delivery of this initial round of the INSPIRE: Alpha Programme free of charge to Primary schools.
Don’t Just Take Our Word for It
Most recently, we had the pleasure of welcoming West Earlham Infant and Junior School to Saxon Air HQ as part of the INSPIRE: Alpha Programme.
Their visit brought a burst of excitement and energy into our hangar. The pupils met with pilots, explored our aircraft—including our electric plane—and took part in an interactive careers exploration session.
We’ve heard incredible things from the teachers and students:
“The day was well structured and well-paced to maintain interest and give the children a variety of different and relevant experiences.
The carousel of activities was very engaging. Timing was just right to keep the children interested. I especially liked the LEGO activity for communication skills. The flight simulator was a big attraction, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the airport codes activity alongside held the attention, even though children were eager to have their turn on the flight simulator.”
Teacher at West Earlham Junior School.
“This was the best school trip ever!”
Student from West Earlham Junior School
“The children are ‘inspired and excited to begin the project with Saxon Air’. Following the session [with Saxon Air] the children were more confident understanding the topic of the Business Encounter, more confident in applying skills related to the topic and more confident in communicating ideas about the topic.”
Teacher at West Earlham Infant School.
These stories are what drive us. We’re not just running a programme—we’re shaping futures.
How to Get Involved
If you’re a teacher, school leader, or education coordinator, we’d love to have you join the INSPIRE: Alpha journey.
🔗 Register your interest here https://forms.office.com/e/BY1MVJST79
We’re happy to send over an info pack, discuss a tailored visit for your pupils, or set up a call to walk you through how the programme works.
Categories: Careers and outreach, Flight Training