A SWARM of huge insects have set up home at a Headington school.

Far from an unwanted infestation, the gigantic dragonflies were designed by pupils for a public art installation at Cheney School.

The Dragonfly Trail is made up of eight of the colourful creatures, 5ft long and boasting a 5ft wing span, each created by an art student at Cheney to represent a different subject.

They have been dotted around the secondary school's site as part of a permanent exhibition led by the school's Rumble Museum.

The trail was unveiled at the museum's Iris Festival of Natural History on Wednesday, which also featured animatronic dinosaurs, a 'fossil pit' and virtual reality kits.

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The free community event was staged to celebrate the fact that Cheney is in the final stage of its journey to become the first Arts Council-accredited museum in a state school.

Pupils at six Oxford primary schools were invited to paint mini dragonflies, to bring along to the festival for temporary display.

East Oxford, Bayards Hill, St Mary and St John, St Andrew's, St Ebbe's and Windmill primary schools all took part.

Children at SS Mary and John in East Oxford designed a Japanese-themed dragonfly, embossed with copper symbols.

The big dragonflies have each been designed to reflect different subjects: English, classics, art, science, maths, sport and drama music and dance. Another has been inspired by 'the world.'

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Lorna Robinson, director of the Rumble Museum, said: "These are striking, colourful and educational works of art which will inspire the very diverse community of Oxford.

"Students, staff, and the wider community can explore the trail for years to come."

Cheney pupil Leri Mikyla Avila, who designed the classics dragonfly, said: "My design was mainly inspired by Greek mythology.

"Gods and mythical beings were represented by their most prominent attributes, Medusa’s venomous snake hair themed the rock, and Dionysus was shown by wine flowing from the dragonfly’s goblet into the legs."