Pupils from St Breock Primary School Wadebridge visit Silverstone

St Breock Primary School pupils were brimming with excitement after visiting Silverstone Race Circuit in Northamptonshire to see the final rounds of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).

The 22 children from Year 6 got up at 5am to make the 250- mile journey to the event, where they also got to see Ginettas and Formula Renaults race.

Led by class teacher and motorsport enthusiast Emma Arnold, they have been learning about motorsport for the last half-term. It has linked with their curriculum work, from calculating amounts of fuel for races in their maths and locating race circuits around the world in geography to designing and making clay helmets in art and writing driver biographies in literacy.

Mrs Arnold said: "The children were all hugely excited and, on arrival at Silverstone, were treated like VIPs.

"Equipped with their autograph books, they set off down the pit lane.

"After meeting BTCC champion Matt Neal and the rest of the Honda team, the children went on to meet Chris James of Team ES Racing who showed them around his car and talked to them about the HANS (head and neck support) device on his helmet.

"They then met Tom Boardman and David Newsham from Special Tuning Racing, followed by Frank Wrathall from Dynojet. A real highlight was meeting Lea Wood from Team Wood Racing and, after a tour of his garage, finding the St Breock School logo placed proudly on his bonnet.

"Just when they thought things couldn't get much more exciting, 1996 Formula One World Champion Damon Hill came around the corner, and signed 22 autograph books and posed for a class photograph."

Having watched some racing and had lunch, the children were guests of Triple Eight Racing and invited into the hospitality suite.

After meeting 2011 Independent champion James Nash and his team-mate Oliver Jackson, the children were given a thorough tour of the garage, told about the way that the car works and even allowed to sit in it.

Mrs Arnold said: "On the last walk down the pit lane, the children were invited into the Dunlop hospitality area for drinks, before meeting Jeff Smith and Andrew Jordan from Pirtek Racing and posing for more photographs.

"It was certainly the most exciting school trip I've ever led, and I am sure it's one that the children will remember for a very long time.

"It has enabled us to do lots of writing for purpose, which always results in better-quality work and more enjoyable learning.

"It also gave the children a really good insight into the world of motorsport and all the opportunities there are; they were able to really see how the skills we teach them in school can be useful to them in the outside world."