CHILDREN across Oxford have been learning more about the world around them through a series of events staged during National Science and Engineering Week.

Larkrise Primary School, in Boundary Brook Road, received a flying visit on Tuesday when a helicopter landed in the school’s playing fields.

Captivated children got the chance to have their photograph taken next to the £1.5m helicopter, which is run by education group Heli-Wise.

At Church Cowley St James CofE Primary School, experts from the 200-year-old Institution of Civil Engineers introduced 240 pupils to the principles of bridge-building in two days of workshops.

Pupils from Year Five and Year Six had to design, build and test a bridge using just four sheets of A4 paper and a metre of sticky tape, testing its strength by loading it with Mars bars.

The engineers, from Oxfordshire firms, also told the children about their careers and the projects they had worked on.

Year Five pupil Abigail Walton, 10, said: “It was really fun. The best bit was trying to beat all of my friends to build the best bridge. We learnt about building bridges, and train stations, and all the projects the engineers had worked on.”

And on Tuesday, The Cherwell School hosted a science fair, involving 100 students.

Pupils chose to investigate, research or make an object or model on any aspect of science that interested them.

Among projects chosen by youngsters were ‘Why can’t you smell your own smell?, and ‘Are girls better at multi-tasking than boys?’.

Science Oxford’s Cathy Sturrock said: “The projects demonstrate a detailed understanding of a whole range of topics and a real commitment by the students that complete them.”