St Mary's C of E Primary School & Nursery

We were delighted to invite Paul back, after his inspiring whole-school workshops on the Tim Peake mission earlier this year. As part of our Space Explorers topic, we asked him to explain to us what a comet is and the vital role they have played in the formation of our Solar System. He kept us all riveted with his explanations (which were based on the most up-to-date scientific knowledge - much of it gleaned from the Rosetta mission in 2014) and demonstrations, which included making an incredibly realistic comet from some edible ingredients. Sadly, not all of them were suitable for human consumption, so we didn't actually get to taste it! In addition, Paul reminded us of the dangers of Space travel, and we were able to do his famous mini-marshmallow experiment again, which simulates what would happen to the human body if it were exposed to Space without a protective suit. Finally, some of the children were able to actually wear one of Tim Peake's Space suits (which Paul has borrowed), and also one of the new ones, which will be worn by the next astronaut to take over on the ISS on behalf of the European Space Agency - a wonderful experience! Let's hope we can persuade Tim Peake himself to visit us in the not too distant future - we are trying!