PRIMARY school pupils from three Vale schools have touched down in the UK after experiencing an out-of-this-world school trip to the USA.

Year 6 Barry Island, Evenlode and St Josephs primary schools, in conjunction with 5-a-day Fitness, sent pupils to NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre, in Florida, as part of the a Countdown To Space, during the half-term break last month.

Scholastic and Cornerstones also supported the trip.

The aim of the space-side mission was to inspire a passion for engineering, maths, science and technology.

The week-long programme was designed to teach the youngsters what it takes to become an astronaut or scientist.

It was organised through ISSET, a company that specialises in inspirational and exciting space trips and workshops and set up by the head teachers of the three schools - Ty Golding, Gareth Rein and Steve Rees.

Barry Island Primary (BIPS) acting deputy head teacher Dominic Broad said: “The trip was subsidised by a range of educational companies that are equally as passionate as our schools about providing inspiring opportunities for our learners.

“The purpose of the trip was to engage learners in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) through an unforgettable learning experience. Part of our role as educators is to inspire lifelong learners and present children with opportunities that develop their potential for greatness. This trip was a fantastic opportunity for children to be immersed in college degree talks on physics whilst enjoying the excitement of being around real life astronauts and space shuttles.

“The children participated in a range of exciting tasks as part of the junior astronaut training. They learnt the physics behind a rocket launch and the forces acting on your body during our indoor skydive. The children then got to experience this breathtaking experience firsthand. The young thrill-seekers were taught to skydive and put into practice some of the lessons they had been taught in the morning by the highly skilled instructors.”

The pupils also took part in small group discussions with astronaut Jon McBride and ex-director of NASA Jay Honeycutt who offered the young explorers powerful words of wisdom.

Mr Broad said: “Both speakers embodied NASA’s philosophy of achieving the impossible and talked about their personal journeys from normal school children to the forefront of space travel and engineering. The children asked questions and learnt valuable lessons on perseverance and dedication to achieving your dreams - no matter how unrealistic they may seem.”

The children also went behind the scenes at NASA and SeaWorld - visiting the famous vehicle assembly building and launch pads at Cape Canaveral and shadowing the veterinary staff at SeaWorld to witness X-ray's on an alligator and ultrasounds on pregnant dolphins.

US staff and speakers told the children their work was an amazing experience that could be an attainable dream for any young person.

All it took, they said, was perseverance and a little luck and they could also join the amazing people at SeaWorld and NASA in their dream jobs.

Mr Broad added: "The opportunity presented by ISSET was an fantastic experience that not only excited and engaged learners but had a significant impact on the learning and engagement in class. The build-up to the trip and resulting lessons have embodied NASA’S ethos of challenging yourself and perseverance.

“Collaboratively, each school has worked together to create an opportunity that would resonate through the communities and demonstrate that it's not about where you come from, but about where you can go.

“The trip was a monumental effort from the staff involved and ISSET to make this trip a possibility for primary age children. We hope to have reinvigorated STEM across our schools and inspired children to become lifelong learners with resilience and an ambition to achieve the impossible."

Barry Island Primary acting head teacher Rebecca Cadman, who lead the trip, added: “It was an excellent and unforgettable experience for children to further develop and extend STEM skills and understanding in addition to contributing to personal and social development. The trip inspired children to think about the world in a different context.”