Firing rockets, making life-size astronauts and broadcasting news from another planet were all in a day’s work for these pupils.

Dartford Science and Technology College’s science, technology and arts week presented pupils with a number of challenges and treats.

Year 7 pupils from the school visited the Observatory Science Centre in Herstmonceux, East Sussex, where they took part in a bridge-building workshop and enjoyed a telescope tour and science show.

Year 8 geography pupils wrote imaginary news reports about their arrival on a new planet which were recorded by sixth-form students.

Some pupils from Years 8 and 9 also watched the film Aliens in the Attic and then answered a quiz at the end.

English teacher Bronagh McPartland said: “The idea was to give the children confidence in both speaking and listening, and to be able to use their imagination when writing creative stories in the future.”

Year 9 Dartford Science and Technology College pupils made a life-size astronaut collage using different fabrics and materials, others painted “space gardens”, while another group made alien face masks and abstract paintings.