PRIMARY school pupils welcomed in the New Year with a trip to various corners of the world and – even the moon – thanks to Google Expedition.

Students from year 1 to year 6 at Bleak Hill Primary School in Windle were lucky enough to try out the new virtual reality equipment, with the children going from bottom of the ocean to space in the touch of a button.

On Thursday, January 6 the Star went along to see the children’s reactions and accompanied a year 4 class on their journey to the Great Barrier Reef followed by a short trip to the moon.

Mr Harrison, who led the year 4 class, said: “It was great to see the children so engaged in the lesson because they could visualise what I was talking about.

“There’s only so much you can do with worksheets so it has been amazing, it’s great to have the teaching aid on there too, it even directs the children to what you want them to look at.”

The devices work by placing a phone in a cardboard holder designed to fit your face, teachers then use an iPad that controls what all the students see and facts on screen to talk to the class about what they are seeing.

Different year groups went on trips to various places such as Egypt to aid their history lessons, space to help their science and the Antarctic to help with their geography.

Karen Scott, a teacher at the school who organised the event, said: “Travelling virtually to so many different places the children would not get to travel to, has been amazing.

“We wanted to enhance their awe and wonder to learn about their new topics and from the gasps and shouts of wow, I think we have done that.

“It has been a fantastic way to start our New Year and new school term.”

Alex, from Google Expeditions, added: “I have been to several schools and the reaction is always that of surprise, the children just love it.

“The 360 degree virtual reality can be used as a learning tool across all subjects so the pupils pick up on things visually and kinetically by walking around.

“I personally think that it’s amazing and I think every child that experienced it today would agree.”