Astronaut Steve Swanson brought with him a sense of awe and wonder when he visited The Deanery Academy.

The American former space station commander gave three talks to students and parents about his 28 years with NASA.

The main aim of the talks is to inspire the next generation of scientists from across Swindon – something Steve, 59, was only too keen to endorse.

He said: “We believe in outreach to students and to show them that you can achieve your dreams if you work hard.

“And I’d like to point out that science, maths and engineering are really good things to study too. I try to stress that a little bit but that’s just my personal bias.”

Throughout the talks, Steve discussed his adventures in space and about how he was able to live his dream.

“Space is fun,” Steve said: “That’s one of the first things I want to share with them.

“I got to fulfil my dream but I talk about how it took a lot of effort to get there. I talk about perseverance, working hard and improving myself, and how they can do the same thing too.

“One of the most important things is to find something that you really want to do.

“It’s the old adage about if you love what you’re doing then you’re never really going to work. I got lucky and got to do that.”

He added: “It’s important for people to know what’s out there. Students don’t even realise it’s a career they could possibly take so it’s nice for them to see that there’s all sorts of things they didn’t know about.”

Steve was speaking at the school's new theatre days after it hosted BBC's Question Time.

Assistant principal Peter Scutt said: “We have such a fabulous environment and facilities I want to show off, as well as promote science.

“As a scientist I know that, in Swindon, science is an area that needs to be promoted more.

“Without higher education, without universities, it’s something we need to promote that there’s an ambition and goal for children to aim for.

“To have somebody like Steve come in just gives them another ambition. Just to see the passion and enthusiasm will inspire the next generation.”

Peter's contacts from 10 years in education paved the way for Steve's special visit.

He said: “To be able to host an astronaut is absolutely amazing. The buzz within the whole building is absolutely amazing.”

Jacob, a 12-year-old at the school, said: “We got to learn new things about the International Space Station that we didn’t know before.

"Steve coming in is so awesome.”