Case study · RAF Youth & STEM · 2018 to 2026
Case study: delivering RAF Youth & STEM workshops across the UK, 2018 to 2026
Eight years of RAF-funded STEM workshops in schools across all four UK nations: 440 delivery days, 384 schools and venues, and pupils leaving more likely to choose STEM than when they arrived.
(opens in a new tab)RAF STEM Education Partner, named on the RAF STEM Services Framework, 2023 to 2028In brief: RAF Youth & STEM is the Royal Air Force’s schools programme, which funds hands-on STEM workshops for young people. Hyett Education has delivered RAF-funded workshops since August 2018: 440 delivery days at 384 schools and venues across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, reaching 35,634 pupil engagements. Robotics has run throughout, with drone coding, AI and machine learning, and cyber security added as the programme’s priorities moved on.
Delivery for RAF Youth & STEM continues in 2026/27. Funded places are confirmed for each opportunity.
Official sites: RAF Youth & STEM (opens in a new tab) · Royal Air Force (opens in a new tab)
The brief
Bring practical, careers-linked STEM to whole year groups of pupils in each area the RAF chose, with priority for girls, disadvantaged pupils and pupils from ethnic minorities.
What we did
Identified, recruited and booked eligible schools in each RAF area, ran four RAF-themed workshops with all the equipment supplied, and reported back for every delivery cycle.
The result
An average of 81 pupils a day, equal numbers of girls and boys where recorded, and 97% of teachers rating our facilitator very good.
| Figure | What it measures | Scope and source |
|---|---|---|
| 35,634 | pupil engagements in RAF school and venue workshops (one per pupil per workshop day) | August 2018 to August 2026; Hyett Education delivery records and returns to RAF Youth & STEM |
| 440 | delivery days | Same period and records |
| 384 | schools and venues, of which 372 are schools | Same period and records |
| 90 | county and council areas reached, in all four UK nations | Same records, by delivery postcode; plus 2 days at the British School of Paris |
| 50% | of pupils were girls | Where recorded, 2018 to 2026 |
| 42% | of pupils were eligible for pupil premium | Where recorded, 2018 to 2026 |
| 25% | of pupils were from ethnic minorities | Where recorded, 2018 to 2026 |
| 59% → 79% | pupils likely to choose STEM activities, start to end of session | 566 RAF pupil feedback forms, March 2025 to June 2026 |
| 97% | of teachers rated our facilitator very good | 121 RAF teacher feedback forms, March 2025 to September 2026 |
Delivery
Eight years of delivery, reported back to the RAF
A funded place is only valuable if it reaches the right school. We identify eligible schools in each area the RAF chooses, agree dates, handle the pre-visit paperwork and bring everything needed on the day.
Delivery days each academic year
RAF Youth & STEM school and venue workshops, 2018/19 to 2025/26
Show as a table
| Academic year | Delivery days |
|---|---|
| 2018/19 | 10 |
| 2019/20 | 18 |
| 2020/21 | 17 |
| 2021/22 | 71 |
| 2022/23 | 55 |
| 2023/24 | 103 |
| 2024/25 | 76 |
| 2025/26 | 90 |
Source: Hyett Education delivery records.
Delivery at a glance
Measured impact
Did the workshops change pupils’ views of STEM?
Yes. Since March 2025, pupils have rated each workshop on a short form at the end of the session, including how likely they were to choose STEM activities at the start and at the end.
Pupils likely to choose STEM, start to end of session
566 RAF pupil feedback forms, March 2025 to June 2026
Show as a table
| Question | Start of session | End of session |
|---|---|---|
| Likely or very likely to choose STEM activities | 59% | 79% |
Pupils’ own rating, given at the end of the session. Source: RAF pupil feedback forms, March 2025 to June 2026.
What pupils said
566 RAF pupil feedback forms
Source: RAF pupil feedback forms, March 2025 to June 2026.
What teachers said
121 RAF teacher feedback forms
Source: RAF teacher feedback forms, March 2025 to September 2026.
Who took part
Reaching the pupils outreach usually misses
Attendance and demographic figures went back to RAF Youth & STEM for every delivery cycle, so the programme could see who it reached.
Percentages are shares of pupils where the figure was recorded, 2018 to 2026.
Primary and secondary
Delivery days by phase, where known, 2018 to 2026
Show as a table
| Phase | Delivery days |
|---|---|
| Primary | 258 |
| Secondary | 155 |
| Mixed groups | 21 |
Source: Hyett Education delivery records.
Coastal and rural communities. Clacton, Margate, Sheerness, Fleetwood, Bideford, Seaton, Caernarfon, Porthmadog and Girvan.
Areas of high deprivation. Sustained delivery across the Black Country, Stoke-on-Trent and east Glasgow, with schools reached in Bradford, Hull and Middlesbrough.
Beyond the school gate. Scout and Cub groups, the Manchester United Foundation, Wrexham Museum, the National Museum of Flight and faith-community settings including Nishkam, Khalsa and the British Muslim Heritage Centre.
“Fantastic workshop, will look to run next year, has got girls interested in programming which has been a historical issue for us”
2018 to 2026
Eight consecutive years of RAF delivery
RAF-funded delivery began at Glasgow Science Centre in August 2018. Delivery kept going through Covid, then grew into regional clusters of schools in every UK nation, with new workshops added as the RAF’s priorities moved on.
RAF-funded delivery began at Glasgow Science Centre on 31 August 2018.
A robotics competition series for schools, and our first delivery in Northern Ireland.
Delivery kept going through Covid restrictions.
The Wrexham Museum residency and the first school visits in Scotland.
Scotland and the Midlands, plus 2 days at the British School of Paris.
The busiest year, with drone coding delivered at scale.
AI and machine learning introduced.
Cyber security added, delivered in regional clusters.
Bars show delivery days, scaled to the busiest year (103 days in 2023/24).
Source: Hyett Education delivery records.
Where
90 county and council areas, in all four UK nations
From Cornwall to the Highlands, and from Caernarfon to Belfast, plus 2 days at the British School of Paris.
Delivery days by nation and region
2018 to 2026
Show as a table
| Nation or region | Delivery days |
|---|---|
| Scotland | 109 |
| West Midlands | 95 |
| North West | 53 |
| South West | 46 |
| South East | 39 |
| Wales | 33 |
| East Midlands | 23 |
| East of England | 19 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 13 |
| London | 3 |
| North East | 3 |
| Northern Ireland | 2 |
Source: Hyett Education delivery records, by delivery postcode.
| County or council area | Delivery days |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City | 28 |
| Fife | 25 |
| Wrexham | 23 |
| Kent | 22 |
| South Ayrshire | 21 |
| East Lothian | 19 |
| Birmingham | 18 |
| Manchester | 16 |
| Essex | 16 |
| Staffordshire | 14 |
| Wolverhampton | 14 |
Show all 90 areas
Every county and council area we have delivered in
Bath and North East Somerset, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bury, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Coventry, Denbighshire, Derby, Derbyshire, Devon, Dudley, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, East Sussex, Essex, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Gloucestershire, Gwynedd, Hampshire, Hartlepool, Herefordshire, County of, Highland, Isle of Anglesey, Islington, Kent, Kingston upon Hull, City of, Kirklees, Lancashire, Leeds, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, Merthyr Tydfil, Middlesbrough, Monmouthshire, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newham, Norfolk, North Ayrshire, North East Lincolnshire, North Lanarkshire, North Lincolnshire, North Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oldham, Pembrokeshire, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Rochdale, Rotherham, Sandwell, Shropshire, Slough, Solihull, Somerset, South Ayrshire, Southend-on-Sea, Staffordshire, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon, Tameside, Telford and Wrekin, Tower Hamlets, Trafford, Walsall, Warwickshire, West Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, Wirral, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire, Wrexham, York.
Source: Hyett Education delivery records, by delivery postcode.
The workshops
RAF-themed workshops: robotics, drone coding, AI and cyber security
Each workshop taught core computing and engineering skills through an RAF scenario, so pupils could see where the skills lead. Our qualified teachers bring every robot, drone and laptop, and connect the activities to real RAF roles.
Robotics and coding
Build and code robots to complete RAF-inspired mission challenges, working as a team to test, debug and improve.
359 delivery days since 2018
Drone coding
Programme drones through flight challenges that mirror real RAF roles, learning control, precision and testing.
58 delivery days, at scale from 2023/24
AI and machine learning
Train a model, test how confident it is and explore how AI supports aviation and the people who make decisions with it.
14 delivery days, introduced in 2024/25
Cyber security
Code-breaking and online-safety challenges linked to RAF cyber careers, finishing with a team puzzle against the clock.
9 delivery days, introduced in 2025/26What schools chose
Delivery days by workshop, 2025/26
Beyond the classroom
Airshows, museums and community groups
Alongside school delivery, we have represented RAF Youth & STEM at airshows and national showcases, reaching families and young people outside the school setting.
RAF Cosford Air Show · Shropshire
Hands-on robotics and coding in the STEM hangar.
Forces in STEM · RAF Museum Midlands (Cosford) and RAF Museum London
Robotics and coding challenges for visiting school groups.
International Ayr Show · Ayrshire
A multi-day STEM programme for families and young people.
Industry event with BAE Systems and the Royal Aeronautical Society · Preston
Hands-on challenges alongside aerospace employers.
Some of our longest RAF delivery has been outside schools, in museums and community settings that reach young people in other ways.
Wrexham Museum
A multi-week residency of robotics workshops for local schools, in 2021/22.
National Museum of Flight and Glasgow Prestwick Airport
Robotics and drone days in Scotland, alongside the RAF’s aviation heritage.
Scout and Cub groups
Robotics challenges at Kibblestone, West Mercia and Nidderdale camps.
Community and faith settings
The Manchester United Foundation, Nishkam, Khalsa and the British Muslim Heritage Centre.
Accountability
How we reported to RAF Youth & STEM
A funded programme has to prove its value. We built the evidence into every visit.
- Attendance and demographic figures returned to RAF Youth & STEM for every delivery cycle.
- Schools shortlisted against the RAF’s priorities and approved before booking.
- A record of every school, date and workshop since 2018.
- Pupil and teacher feedback forms at every workshop: 566 pupil and 121 teacher forms since March 2025.
- Termly evaluation reports with school quotes and photographs.
- RAF Youth & STEM branding, uniform and banners at every event.
What we learned, and what we changed
- Clusters of schools in one area make the best use of each funded day, so we now plan delivery in regional groups.
- Collecting figures on the day, not afterwards, gives a complete return for every visit, so every workshop now ends with a feedback form.
- Museum and event days need their own way of counting, so we report them separately from school workshops.
- New topics land best when they build on robotics, which is why AI and cyber security were added one year apart.
What we learned, and what we changed
- Clusters of schools in one area make the best use of each funded day, so we now plan delivery in regional groups.
- Collecting figures on the day, not afterwards, gives a complete return for every visit, so every workshop now ends with a feedback form.
- Museum and event days need their own way of counting, so we report them separately from school workshops.
- New topics land best when they build on robotics, which is why AI and cyber security were added one year apart.
In their words
What schools said
“This was an amazing experience for the children. I try to give them as many STEM opportunities as I can, but these workshops are on another level!”
“With current school funding issues, the opportunity to run a STEM workshop is very prohibitive without funding through the RAF. The STEM workshop engaged students who struggle with a lot of their lessons but the way it was set up soon engaged the most challenging.”
“Our pupils were all engaged and focused, even those who are normally very hard to ‘reach’! … One of our Y6 girls wants to be an engineer and the activities have fired her enthusiasm and aspirations even more!”
“Having seen many of these events over time, this is the first where I have seen 100% engagement and enthusiasm from all involved. They had a great time!”
“The enthusiasm throughout the day was brilliant. The children were always engaged with the activities set and thrived being able to explore the technology and solve problems as part of their group.”
“The Year 7’s this year absolutely loved the workshops and it’s brilliant that we can offer this to the new students next year.”
Show more quotes
“Our pupils had an exceptional STEM learning experience. The Hyett/RAF visit perfectly complemented our Computing and STEM curriculum, providing invaluable practical insights.”
“It was absolutely amazing, all pupils engaged, especially our SEND pupils.”
“Some of the girls who were a bit unsure beforehand really got stuck in, and some of my less motivated boys were really engaged in the activities.”
“This was a brilliant workshop! The delivery of the workshop and engagement of pupils was excellent.”
“The facilitator was clearly very skilled, knowing both the subject and in teaching. … The workshop was excellent and all the students really enjoyed the activities and found it thoroughly engaging.”
“Richard was brilliant at delivering the workshop to pupils from a range of different backgrounds. The pupils enjoyed the day and engaged in the different activities.”
For funders and partners
Running a funded STEM programme for your organisation
Whether you are a Defence or aerospace employer, a company with a CSR or social value commitment, or a foundation funding STEM in schools, anywhere in the UK, this is what we take off your hands.
- Scoping callThe areas and pupils you want to reach, your sector theme and your reporting needs.
- School shortlistWe shortlist eligible schools against your priorities, such as deprivation or girls in STEM, for your approval.
- BookingWe contact the schools, agree dates and handle the pre-visit paperwork.
- DeliveryQualified teachers deliver themed workshops with every piece of equipment supplied.
- Returns after every visitAttendance, demographics and feedback for each school, sent within days.
- End-of-programme reportReach, outcomes, school quotes, photographs and what we would change next time.
Plan a programme
Tell us who you want to reach
We will come back with how we would recruit the schools, design the workshops and report the impact. No obligation, and no cost to scope.
What happens next
- Scoping call
The areas and pupils you want to reach, your sector theme and your reporting needs.
- School shortlist
We shortlist eligible schools against your priorities, such as deprivation or girls in STEM, for your approval.
- Booking
We contact the schools, agree dates and handle the pre-visit paperwork.
Want workshops like these in your school?
Funded places depend on each partner’s current programme, and paid workshops are open to schools across the UK.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Hyett Education, a UK STEM workshop provider, has delivered RAF Youth & STEM workshops since 2018: 440 delivery days at 384 schools and venues in all four UK nations, reaching 35,634 pupil engagements. Pupils likely to choose STEM activities rose from 59% at the start of a session to 79% at the end, and 97% of teachers rated our facilitator very good.
What is RAF Youth & STEM?+
RAF Youth & STEM is the Royal Air Force’s programme for inspiring young people in science, technology, engineering and maths. It funds hands-on workshops in schools. Hyett Education is an RAF STEM Education Partner, named on the RAF STEM Services Framework for 2023 to 2028, and has delivered RAF-funded workshops since 2018: 440 delivery days at 384 schools and venues.
Where have you delivered RAF workshops?+
In 90 county and council areas across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus the British School of Paris. The most-visited areas are Glasgow City, Fife, Wrexham, Kent and South Ayrshire, and delivery has reached coastal and rural towns such as Clacton, Sheerness, Caernarfon and Girvan.
Can you deliver a funded programme anywhere in the UK?+
Yes, anywhere in the UK. We plan each programme around the areas, towns and priority groups a funder wants to reach, in one area or several at once, and our team travels with all the equipment.
Which ages do the RAF workshops suit?+
Mainly Years 5 to 8, in primary and secondary schools. Since 2018 we have delivered 258 primary and 155 secondary school days for the RAF.
How many pupils take part in a day?+
Usually a whole year group or more, in several groups through the day. Across 440 delivery days we averaged 81 pupils a day.
How are schools chosen?+
The RAF chooses the areas and sets the priorities, such as deprivation, girls and pupils from ethnic minorities. We identify eligible schools, shortlist them for RAF approval, then contact them and book the dates.
Did the workshops change how pupils see STEM?+
Yes. On 566 RAF pupil feedback forms, pupils likely or very likely to choose STEM activities rose from 59% at the start of the session to 79% at the end, and 83% said they felt better informed about STEM careers.
How do you report to funders?+
We return attendance and demographic figures to the funder for every delivery cycle, collect pupil and teacher feedback at every workshop (566 pupil and 121 teacher forms since March 2025) and write termly evaluation reports with school quotes and photographs.
How do you keep pupils safe?+
Every Hyett Education facilitator holds an enhanced DBS certificate and is registered on the DBS Update Service, and certificate details are provided to schools on request before a booking. We supply the activity risk assessment and hold £10m public liability insurance.
Can a CSR or defence funder commission a programme like this?+
Yes. We run the whole programme: school recruitment, themed workshops, delivery, returns after every visit and an end-of-programme report mapped to your social value framework. Tell us who you want to reach and we will return a costed proposal.
Planning a STEM programme for schools?
Tell us who you want to reach and where. We will show you how we would recruit the schools, design the workshops and report the impact.