Into Space with Jupited

Our Growing Together Week took a turn for the aeronautical (and even astronautical) as we reached for the stars with our guest speaker, Flt Lt Kerry Bennett. Kerry has a Masters in Geophysics and is not only a current RAF Air-to-Air refuelling pilot, but also a bonafide aspiring astronaut, having made it through to the final three in the BBC show ‘Astronauts – Do You Have What It Takes?’.  Kerry gave deeply inspiring talks to both the Prep and Pre-Prep on her space experience. Her sheer competence was inspiring for all of us, but what underpinned her talks was her message of resilience and perseverance despite the numerous setbacks she experienced throughout her life.

The children’s faces lit up and hands shot up in the air as she fielded questions on all aspects of space travel, from the way bodies behave when they are suspended in space to what peculiar challenges astronauts can face to prepare for their travels, including being taught patience by undertaking two weeks of painstaking origami!

What Kerry made clear to the children was how many times during her career she has already had to say to herself ‘ I can do it’, when challenges seemed too big or even impossible. She taught us to face down your fear if it is stopping you doing something you really want to do, and you will find a way through.

Harnessing the children’s improved understanding of space travel and aeronautical activity was the aim of the Space Balloon launch organised by Mr Matthews as the finale of Growing Together Week. It was official – Astronaut Jupited was ready for launch. The whole school gathered with great excitement on the lawns in front of the school, as Mr Matthews and Mrs Rogerson, Head of Science, grappled with an enormous helium balloon, complete with its hairy pilot and the Space Prayers cargo. There was a resounding countdown and 3, 2, 1 … Jupited was go! The balloon soared off over the Farleigh fields and pitches, towards the South, chased at speed by an excited crowd of cheering Farleigh children into the bright evening sky, until it was out of sight. We now eagerly await reports of Jupited’s eventual landing place (click here)… of course, we may never know but he was last seen heading for the English Channel!

Fr Simon’s assembly this week rounded off our starry-eyed half-term, as he took us on a journey around the universe and even beyond it.  We saw how vital it must have been for our ancestors to try to tell the first stories explaining how and why we came to be, and how mindboggling it still is for us to grasp how tiny we are in the enormous galaxy we call our home. The children were awestruck by the size comparison as we travelled outwards from our moon, through the giants of our galaxy such as Jupiter and then far beyond to the billions of light years that take us to the edges of the universe.

We suddenly all felt part of one very large family when we returned to our classrooms, knowing we are all literally made of the same stardust, from explosions that happened near the dawn of time.


Some of the videos we watched can be found on YouTube if you wish to explore them further:

Life’s Beginnings Are Found In Stardust 

Solar System 101 

Star Size Comparison 2