We’re thrilled to announce that Operation Spitfire 4 Schools, together with the wider Operation Spitfire board, has been honoured with the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) 2025 Education and Skills Committee Team Award. For a young organisation working to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists, this recognition is an enormous honour. It reflects the passion, creativity and hard work of our entire team in developing not only engaging and exciting curriculum and enrichment opportunities, but also the power of partnerships in creating meaningful learning experiences for our young people. Through Operation Spitfire 4 Schools, we deliver a high-quality, history-rich and STEM-focused programme combining curriculum learning, museum experiences, expert talks, hands-on engineering workshops and opportunities that develop confidence, curiosity and aspiration. Our mission is simple but ambitious: to use the story of the Spitfire to inspire futures and widen access to STEM for young people across Stoke -on-Trent, Staffordshire and beyond. This award is a signal to educators, partners, supporters and policymakers that this programme matters — and it works. If you believe in nurturing talent, widening opportunity, celebrating heritage and transforming futures, we’d love you to join us, collaborate with us, or help us spread the word.
Operation Spitfire is a constituted team of volunteers chaired by Julian Mitchell, great nephew of Reginald Mitchell, designer of the Spitfire aircraft. Over the last 15 years, the group have successfully fund-raised for the restoration of Stoke-on-Trent’s Spitfire aircraft; developed a Spitfire cockpit simulator for public use; redesigned a museum’s Spitfire Gallery with the aforementioned aircraft and simulator to increase STEM engagement and interactivity; and launched ‘Operation Spitfire 4 Schools’ – a novel curriculum for KS2 and KS3 pupils centred around the Spitfire aircraft to ultimately strengthen civic pride and the STEM pipeline in one of the UK’s most marginalised regions.
