FOURTEEN lucky students at Goostrey Primary School had the chance to take part in a CBBC recording about a new international project at Jodrell Bank.

Year Five pupils attended the observatory, which is managing the new headquarters of the Square Kilometre Array, a multi-radio telescope project in Australia and South Africa, on February 25 to take part in an episode of Newsround.

As part of the programme, the children skyped a school in South Africa whose pupils live near the SKA to talk about what it is like to live near the telescope.

Lyndsey Saxton, year five teacher at the school, said: “This new SKA is a major development and will listen further and deeper than anything ever before. We were excited about it. It was a great day.”

Students who were involved in the episode of CBBC’s Newsround wrote articles about their experiences which have appeared in this week’s school newsletter.

Harry Bairstow, a Year Five student, said: “We were very lucky to meet Ricky a Newsround presenter who chatted to us and gave us his autograph. After we all returned to school feeling we had had a brilliant day.”

Tracey and Charlotte Goodwin, the chair of governors and a Year Five student respectively, added: “The day started with a fantastic presentation from the staff at Jodrell Bank about the work they do and how the Lovell telescope works and information about the SKA.

“And what are they looking for with the SKA? Yes – Aliens, black holes, new plants and galaxies, amongst other things!

“But for the children, the greatest excitement was meeting Ricky from Newsround and linking up live with a school in South Africa who live near to the site where the SKA is being built.

“The children had the opportunity to ask and answer questions with the children in South Africa… the most important being about which football clubs we like and our favourite pop artists.”