ACP Engages 120 Students at William Perkin CoE School in Greenford

The Schools’ Aerospace Careers Programme (ACP) delivered a full-day event at William Perkin Church of England High School in Greenford, where a combined group of 120 Year 11 and A-Level students took part in an immersive programme focused on future technology, innovation, and careers connected to the rapidly evolving aerospace landscape.

The morning presentations examined the progression from the Fourth Industrial Revolution into the emerging Fifth, outlining the technologies driving this shift. Students were introduced to developments in automation, simulation, advanced materials, and AI-enabled systems, with the ACP team demonstrating how these innovations are influencing modern flight, engineering, and wider STEM fields.

In the afternoon, students rotated through hands-on breakout activities. Chris Marshall led FPV drone simulator sessions, giving students practical exposure to flight control and aerodynamics within a virtual environment. Mike Stokes delivered the VR cockpit experience, offering insight into real-world flight operations and the decision-making environment pilots work within. Ogi Damjanovic introduced students to creative VR design workflows, showing how immersive digital tools can be used for conceptual modelling and artistic creation outside traditional classroom methods.

A major highlight of the day was Spot, the quadruped robot from Boston Dynamics. Controlled directly by the ACP team and supported by an LLM-based voice system, Spot held conversations with students, responded to prompts, and switched languages on request. This interactive element offered a clear example of how robotics and AI are converging in practical applications.

Engagement from both year groups was consistently strong, with students asking focused questions about pilot training, engineering routes, apprenticeship opportunities, and the wider technology ecosystem shaping the aerospace sector.

ACP extends its appreciation to William Perkin CoE School for hosting the event and acknowledges the support of Head of Science, Kevin Alderton, whose coordination was central to the success of the visit.

Supporting companies for this event: Airborne Platforms UK and DevelopMyWeb