Teacher on space adventure

A PE teacher from Reepham High School has swapped her gym kit for a space helmet this week.Katie Lake, along with three other Norfolk based teachers, set off on Saturday for a week of space education at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

A PE teacher from Reepham High School has swapped her gym kit for a space helmet this week.

Katie Lake, along with three other Norfolk based teachers, set off on Saturday for a week of space education at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

As part of the trip, she the other three will get a VIP ticket to the launch of shuttle mission STS-124 on Saturday, May 31.

The other teachers on the trip are Allan Wright, from City of Norwich School, Peter Philp, from Taverham High School and Colin Ferris, from Long Stratton High School.

They will all work with rocket scientists, astronauts and engineers in a programme organised by the International Space School Education Trust (ISSET) thanks to a bursary from Wymondham-based The Exchange (Norfolk Education Business Partnership).

Mrs Lake said: “I used to dream of being an astronaut and have continued to be fascinated with space and astronomy.

“Having a VIP ticket for the shuttle launch is going to be very special.

“I will be gathering as many teaching ideas and resources as I can, so that when I return, I will be able to work closely with our science and maths departments. I will also be looking to integrate my experiences into our physical education courses.”

The Exchange chief executive, Tom O'Connor, said: “This is the sixth year that we have supported ISSET's teacher programme.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for our teachers, who are able to explore space's education potential to the full, and return with a vast array of exciting resources for the classroom.”

The Exchange exists to support schools and businesses to work together in achieving effective partner-ships. Visit www.norfolk-exchange.org.uk.

For more information on ISSET see www.isset.org.