Soaring ambitions at NEWA: Celebrating a Year 8 student’s passion for aviation
At Ormiston NEW Academy, we take pride in encouraging not only academic success but also the passions and talents our students pursue beyond the classroom. A Year 8 student who is truly reaching new heights, both literally and figuratively, is Oliver Baker who has a deep-rooted love for aviation.
From an early age, Oliver has been fascinated by aircraft and flight, a passion sparked by his father, former Air Cadet Commanding Officer and fellow keen aviation enthusiast. Recently, he had the incredible opportunity to visit the RAF Shawbury Gliding Club, where he experienced the joy of a motor glider flight around the scenic Wrekin landscape.
Oliver is currently on the waiting list to become a cadet at RAF Cosford, where he hopes to further develop his flying skills and aviation knowledge. When he’s not in the sky, he brings his enthusiasm back down to earth through model-making, having already completed impressive replicas of the iconic Lancaster Bomber and Spitfire.
"It’s a real pleasure to see one of our students so passionately engaged in such an ambitious interest. At NEWA we strive off pride, endeavour and excellence and to see Oliver’s dedication to aviation, inspired by family and nurtured through hands-on experiences, is a testament to the power of determination. We can’t wait to see how far his dreams will take him and we’ll be cheering him on every step of the way," said Craig Cooling, Principal.
Oliver’s family purchased an experience flight at RAF Shawbury Gliding Club (RSGC) as part of Oliver’s birthday celebrations.
Oliver returned on 15 June and flew initially with Wing Commander Colin Haynes in one of the tugs. Oliver was completely at home in the cockpit and demonstrated a good understanding of how we manage the aircraft and fly in the local area whilst also keeping a good lookout for other aircraft.
Colin said he was an absolute pleasure to teach and fly with. We’re looking forwards to flying Oliver on another occasion in one of our gliders.
A few words from the RAF Shawbury Gliding Club can be found here.
Keep a lookout for more stories celebrating the incredible passions and pursuits of our students. From the arts to the skies, we’re proud of every journey they take.
Ormiston North East Wolverhampton Academy opened in September 2017 as an Academy, sponsored by Ormiston Academies Trust. The principal of the Academy is Craig Cooling. It is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in the Fordhouses area of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. Academies are independent state-funded schools run by sponsors with the skills, knowledge and resources to transform the ways in which young people learn. In 2022, NEW Academy was judged by Ofsted to be Good.
