Inspiring the next generation
Inspire is Hinkley Point C’s education programme in Somerset and the wider South West region.
We offer a range of free and innovative activities including hands-on STEM workshops, curriculum-linked teaching resources, assemblies and events for Key Stage 2, 3 and 4 – to help young people take advantage of the huge opportunities that the construction and operation of Hinkley Point C has to offer.
Register to access our activities
If you’re based in Somerset or the wider South West region and work in education, the community or provide careers advice and guidance to young people, you can register for updates on the Inspire education programme to support your school delivery of CEIAG.
To be the first to hear about our free curriculum-aligned workshops, events and assemblies – and to keep up to date with new opportunities at HPC – register below.
Resources for teachers
Download one of our assemblies or lesson plans for Key Stages 2-4 to support your teaching and help you to achieve the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Key Stage 2
HPC Inspire assembly
Overview
This interactive presentation explains how the new power station being built at Hinkley Point C (HPC) will generate electricity. It covers the huge variety of jobs that will be available for today’s KS2 children when they come to leave school. And there’s a fun quiz at the end to test how many facts the children can remember about HPC.
Downloads
Circuit Training (Science and PSHE)
Overview
What are electrical conductors and insulators? In this hands-on circuits activity, students carry out a treasure hunt, investigate what household items are conductors and insulators and work out why Tower Bridge isn’t the best way to represent a switch in a circuit. They also find out how people stay safe in jobs that involve working with electricity.
Timings
- Warm-up: 30 mins
- Main activity: 40 mins
Downloads
Energy Pick 'n' Mix (Science and Geography)
Overview
What’s the energy mix and why is it important? Through a series of quizzes and challenges and charts, students learn about the differences between renewable and non-renewable energy sources, and how the energy mix has changed over time. There’s information about HPC and the exciting future job opportunities in the low-carbon energy sector.
Timings
- Warm-up: 15 mins
- Main activity: 60 mins
- Careers in energy: 10 mins
Downloads
We’ve Got the Power (Science, Geography and PSHE)
Overview
What are renewable and non-renewable energy sources? And how do we generate electricity from different energy sources? Through a series of challenges and games – like matching pairs and fill-in-the-blanks – children explore our use of energy sources and upcoming jobs in the low-carbon energy sector.
Timings
- Warm-up (optional): 10 mins
- Main activity: 35 mins
- Careers in energy: 15 mins
Downloads
What’s Guzzling the Power? (Science and PSHE)
Overview
What are the power guzzlers in your home? In this activity, children take part in a series of picture challenges and brain-teaser quizzes to discover which devices and appliances use electricity in their home – and which are the biggest guzzlers of power. They consider how they can reduce their own use of electricity and find out about some of the future exciting jobs in the energy industry.
Timings
- Warm-up: 10 mins
- Main activity: 40 mins
- Careers in energy: 10 mins
Downloads
Key Stage 3
HPC Inspire assembly
Overview
This interactive presentation gives students a unique insight into the huge range of jobs required at HPC from its construction through to operation. Hear from young people already working on the project to find out their route into HPC and discover the different career pathways available to your students. There’s also advice – specific to each key stage – on what young people can do to improve their job prospects.
Downloads
Energy Pick 'n' Mix (Science, Geography and PSHE)
Overview
What’s the energy mix and why is it important? Through a series of quizzes, challenges and charts, students learn about the differences between renewable and non-renewable energy resources, and how the energy mix has evolved over time. They consider the role of the energy mix in helping the UK meet its net-zero carbon targets and the job opportunities presented by growth in the low-carbon energy sector.
Timings
- Warm-up: 10 mins
- Main activity: 40-60 mins
- Careers in energy: 10 mins
Downloads
The Mighty Atom (Physics and Chemistry)
Overview
Discover the power of the mighty atom! This quick activity – completed in under an hour – reinforces student learning about renewable and non-renewable resources, and our everyday use of electricity. Through films, quizzes and challenges, students explore how a nuclear power station works and future job opportunities in the energy sector.
Timings
- Warm-up: 5 mins
- Main activity: 30-45 mins
- Careers in nuclear: 10 mins
Downloads
We’ve Got the Power (Science and Geography)
Overview
What’s the energy mix? And how do we generate electricity from renewable and non-renewable energy resources? Through timed challenges, quick-fire quizzes and games, students explore our use of different energy resources and upcoming jobs in the low-carbon energy sector.
Timings
- Main activity: 40 mins
- Careers in energy: 20 mins
Downloads
What’s Guzzling the Power? (Science)
Overview
What are the power guzzlers in your home? In this activity, students take part in a series of games, quizzes and challenges to discover which devices and appliances use electricity in their home – and calculate how much they cost to operate. They consider how they can reduce their own use of electricity and find out about some of the future jobs in the energy industry.
Timings
- Warm-up (optional): 5 mins
- Main activity: 40 mins
- Careers in energy: 20 mins
Downloads
Key Stage 4
Elimination (Maths, Citizenship studies/PSHE and English)
Overview
A task that is designed to test logic, reasoning and deduction skills via the process of elimination. This activity will support your delivery of Gatsby benchmark 5 and builds students' employability skills.
Timings
1 hour
Downloads
Make it Fly (Physics, Business studies and Maths)
Overview
In this hands-on Science and Business Studies activity students are set a mock challenge to build a paper plane and generate a profit of at least £50,000. This activity supports Gatsby benchmark 4 and builds students' employability skills.
Timings
3 x 1-hour lesson blocks
Downloads
The Mighty Atom (Physics and Chemistry)
Overview
Discover the power of the mighty atom! This activity explores the structure of the atom and how we generate electricity in a nuclear power station. There are practical activities, quizzes and charts for students to complete. As well as insight into the variety of future careers in the low-carbon energy sector. And a research task into three important roles in the nuclear industry.
Timings
- Warm-up activity: 15 mins
- Main activity: 60-90 mins
- Careers in nuclear: 20 mins
Downloads
Project Nuclear (Physics, Geography, Maths and English)
Overview
Students debate four proposals on the construction of a new nuclear power station in this mock assessment centre activity which will support your delivery of Gatsby benchmark 5.
Timings
2 x 1-hour lesson blocks
Downloads
We’ve Got the Power (Physics and Chemistry)
Overview
What’s the energy mix? And what are the pros and cons of different renewable and non-renewable energy resources? Through a series of quick-fire questions, picture quizzes and challenges, students explore our use of different energy resources and the wide range of upcoming jobs in the low-carbon energy sector.
Timings
- Main activity: 45 mins
- Careers in energy: 15 mins
Downloads
Making a difference to young people in Somerset
An independent evaluation of the Inspire programme
Independent research over five years has shown the positive impact of Hinkley Point C’s Inspire education programme for young people in Somerset.
In July 2014 Skyblue Research was commissioned to carry out a five-year evaluation of the programme. This independent research considered whether Inspire is meeting its objectives and making a tangible difference to young people by helping them to access the opportunities presented bythe construction and operation of Hinkley Point C. This report represents a final assessment, drawing on over 6,000 sources of primary evidence and a further 6,200 sources of data gathered by STEMworks (Inspire’s delivery partner).
The research found that:
More than 40% of the apprentices at Hinkley Point C who participated in the programme said Inspire had changed their career path for the better.
Half of the young people taking part in Inspire said they wanted to try harder in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.
- Interest in STEM careers such as engineering has risen by over 10% as a direct result of Inspire, helping to close nationally significant skills gaps.
- Inspire has helped increase social mobility with Hinkley Point C apprentices being more than twice as likely than the national average to have had free school meals.
- More than half of those given careers advice said they found it easier to get work.
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