Monday 12 March 2012 Two lucky pupils from The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) Junior School were walking on air when they found out how they were to travel to school on Monday. As part of the school’s celebrations of National Science & Engineering Week (NSEW) and as a fundraiser which made in excess of £300 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, the pupils had entered a prize draw to win a surprise ‘unforgettable experience’. Eight year old James O’Malley, from Pool-in-Wharfedale, and 11 year old Vidya Premraj, from Adel, are unlikely to forget the Monday morning when they flew into school by helicopter and landed on the cricket field, watched by all their school friends. Vidya, travelling with her mum Mini Menon, said, “I didn’t find out how I was travelling to school until this morning. It was scary at first, but then we put the headphones on and couldn’t hear all the noise. It was really cool, I’d like to do it every day! School looks like a small village from the air, I didn’t recognise it at first.” James said, “I only found out yesterday about the helicopter ride. I was very excited. There was a good view, I could see a lot but couldn’t see people.” James brought his mum Lisa O’Malley along for the ride. She said, “It was a wonderful experience for James and I really enjoyed it too especially as we took the scenic route over Harewood House.” In keeping with the NSEW theme of ‘Our world in motion’ the helicopter landing was a learning experience for all the pupils in Junior School, who had a lesson with the pilot Mike Thorpe of Helijet on the science behind helicopter flight. The rest of the week will be dedicated to science in Junior School, with a demonstration of forces, levers and rockets, science busking for Year 6 pupils to demonstrate scientific activities to younger year groups and a space suit workshop with visiting pupils from St Peter’s School in Rawdon. General Primary News
