Helicopter crew drop into visit Ellesmere school
More than 400 awestruck pupils looked to the sky as the RAF swooped on Ellesmere Primary School’s playing field.
A Juno helicopter landed a Juno helicopter within the school’s grounds as part of an unforgettable surprise for the children and help with their studies.
A parent at the school had arranged for the crew, Flight Lieutenants Tom Knapp and PJ Howard, based at RAF Shawbury’s training facility, to make the flying visit as part of British Science Week.
Headteacher Stuart Roberts said the visit had been kept secret from pupils.
He said: “They had absolutely no idea why I was taking them onto the field. Then they saw the helicopter start its descent and gave the biggest cheer as it came in to land
“I knew it was going to be good, that’s why we kept it as a surprise. But it was so much better than I expected.
"I’m told it’s not something the RAF do very often, so we feel very privileged indeed.”
Flight Lieutenants Knapp and Howard disembarked to rapturous cheers, and then spent time answering excited pupils’ questions and showing them around the aircraft, which can reach speeds of almost 180 miles an hour.
British Science Week is a celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects, and this year’s theme is journeys. The youngsters are taking part in a wide range of STEM activities and viewing demonstrations during the week.
The school is part of North West Academies Trust which oversees a number of schools in Shropshire and Cheshire and encourages children to learn through new experiences and challenge themselves to achieve their very best.
Having joined the Trust in 2016, the school is showing consistent improvements in attainment across all subjects with maths being a particular strength. It has been awarded the Gold School Games mark in recognition of the vast range of sporting opportunities available to all pupils.
