Summer school reaches new heights

Date published: 06 August 2010

GIFTED and talented youngsters were flying high at a special summer school at Fearns Community Sports College.

For 10 days 15 primary school year six pupils joined 15 Fearns students to participate in a variety of activities based on a flying theme.

Entitled High Flyers, the activities centred around the Stacksteads school with dance and art workshops, painting of the school’s Piper Tomahawk plane and learning all about space, flight, rockets and planes.

Trips out included a VIP tour of Concorde at Manchester Airport, Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum and the National Space Centre in Leicester.

This year’s summer school was organised by art teacher Steven Nuttall.

“Pupils put together a school success card on similar lines to the seat back information card you have on board a plane and worked in the art department to have it professionally produced,” said Mr Nuttall.

“Pupils designed and filmed their own commercial to promote the school and it is hoped this will be used in school.

“They also designed a livery for a plane we had donated to school by parent Neil Dykes.

“They then painted their designs on to the plane and officially named it ‘Dreamliner’

“The plane has become a symbol of the school and reflects our motto further, faster, higher.

“The summer school has been cross curricular with art, design, English, science and ICT all being covered by the work. At the end of each day students also completed a ‘pilot’s log’ on the day’s activities.”

Fearns student Hannah Gibbons, 15, said: “Concorde was amazing, it wasn’t first class it was just class. Half of us said we wanted to fly off to Jamaica.

“I sat in Michael Jackson’s chair and another student Cameron Rhodes sat in the Queen’s.”

Elli Dykes, 10, who is starting at Fearns in September said: “My dad was jealous that I got to go on Concorde. This has been an excellent way of preparing us for high school and I am really excited about going now.

“We have worked together as a team and has been good fun.”

Events concluded with a performance and presentation of the pupils’ work and a screening of the Fearns commercial.

Creative summer: Emily Edwards, 11, and 12-year-old Joanne Clayton paint Fearns’ Community Sports College plane.