Our series of external lectures hosted by the school continued on 05 November, when we welcomed back on site the illustrious Royal Geographical Society (RGS) eastern region branch for their latest public lecture. A large audience of pupils, ONs, parents, staff, academic staff from UEA and Members/Fellows of the RGS heard from national expert Dr Andy Jefferson on the very topical subject of Sustainable Aviation. Andy is an international expert in this field, having worked for decades with the likes of Rolls Royce, Boeing, BA, plus national governments and agencies. See: A&G Jefferson Ltd . With the help of a beautiful slide deck of meticulously researched and clear slides, Andy took the audience on global aviation’s long journey, in which the UK has played a prominent role in technical and operational advances. His gaze inevitably dwelt on the period from the 1950’s explosion in frequent, low-cost air travel to the huge increase forecasted for coming decades. Acknowledging the substantial contribution the aviation industry plays in CO₂ impacts, and against a backdrop of August 2026 being the warmest month in global history, he shared the industry’s plans to address calls for greater sustainability. This includes initiatives such as flight path planning efficiency, aircraft design improvements, sustainable fuel, and carbon trading. The impact of the Iran war and fuel blockades, coming on the back of the unprecedented upheaval during Covid have only imposed further headwinds. Nevertheless, Andy presented a spirited exposition of technical advances that will lead towards greater sustainability in aviation, especially in propulsion methods (jet fuels from waste products, hydrogen power), aerodynamics (wing airflow modelling, carbon fibre materials, even ‘slick’ paint) and AI to optimise air traffic control. Andy faced intense, and at times frankly sceptical, questioning from climate scientists and chemists in the audience. There was some consensus afterwards over refreshments regarding the need to accelerate technical advances to deliver greater sustainability, as well as a pragmatic acknowledgement that the days of easy, cheap, unlimited flights might be numbered. With a cohort of pupils and students in the audience, all could agree that their generation would require energy, purpose and focus to find equitable and urgent solutions to the issue of sustainable aviation. The final word goes to Head of School Immy C (U6) who commented afterwards: “I really enjoyed the talk and found it fascinating to explore the challenges facing the aviation industry in achieving net zero, particularly the potential and limitations of sustainable aviation fuels. It was thought-provoking to consider how technological innovation, economic pressures and global cooperation intersect, and I’m sure the discussion will be valuable to my Geography studies and future aspirations in this field.” The voice of young people will also be the focus of the next RGS event held on Monday 23 November in the Blake Studio. Back by popular demand for its fifth year, you are invited to hear from pupils from various Norfolk Schools each presenting a 15-minute presentation to a Royal Geographical Society audience showcasing a broad range of subjects in human, physical and environmental geography. It is a valuable educational opportunity for them and a wonderful opportunity for our audience to learn from our youth leaders on important global topics. Speaker come from Hethersett Academy, Notre Dame School, University Technical College, Framlingham Earl and pupil Oscar L. (U5) from Norwich School. A rich spread of topics includes the Sahara Desert, China’s economic policies, the costs of AI, shark finning, biodiversity in agriculture, and the London’s design issues. The evening will be chaired by the ever-brilliant Professor Michael O’Riordan OBE DL FBA, and our very own Dr Anthony Speca FRGS. This is a free event suitable for all senior school pupils and parents, starting at the earlier time of 17:00. All are welcome.