Cessna jet classroom opens at Westcliff-on-Sea school

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-37647922

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A school that was running out of teaching space has opened its new classroom - a disused private jet.

The fuselage was bought by Milton Hall Primary School at Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, for £4,000 after it was spotted at an airfield by teacher Jon Baker.

The Cessna Citation, which was unloaded at the school in April, has now been fully renovated and made safe for children to use.

It is being used for teaching small groups up up to 15 children.

Mr Baker was having a flying lesson at Southend Airport when he spotted the aircraft and wondered whether it might make a "good classroom".

BBC News was invited to sit in on part of a lesson in which pupils were taught about geography, basic avionics and, by being set an advanced maths test with just five minutes to complete it, the mental pressures of being a pilot.

"We always wanted something a bit different on the field," Mr Baker said.

"A while ago we looked at getting a helicopter to kind of fill the gap between small groups and a large classroom and this came up. It was such a good opportunity and we thought we could turn it into what we wanted it to be.

"We just wanted a couple of extra spaces where we could take small groups for things like reading or something more creative."

"We can get up to 15 pupils in here," Mr Baker said.

"When we got it, it was gutted. There was very little in it. We've spent about £4,000 doing it up.

"It is safe, it has two exits and no sharp edges."

One of the lessons taught by Mr Baker involved a simulated plane crash.

The challenge set for the children was to look at what skills they would need to survive.