It's a Puppet!

Buy photos » St Nicholas Middle School pupils Charlie Harland, ten, Hannah Smith, ten, Charlotte Koster, nine, Jude Wynter, ten, and Charlotte Rowberry, ten, show off their puppet making skills . Picture by Nick Hands 0312019NHR Order this picture online at www.buyphotos247.com

YOUNGSTERS from two Vale schools showed off their creative sides as they took part in a puppet making workshop.

Dozens of Year 5 pupils from St Nicholas Middle School in Pinvin travelled to their new national link school St Mark's Primary School in Dudley to make hand puppets from recycled materials and then write plays for puppet shows.

In what was a first for the schools involved, children from Pinvin First School also joined in with all the puppet making fun on the day.

The remaining Year 5 pupils at the middle school did not miss out on the fun and worked in their normal classrooms to bring together all the elements of the puppetry and take part in special workshops where they created dragons, bears, sharks and famous TV characters.

Carolyn Gemson, head of design and technology said: "This is the first time that we have extended our Year 5 hand puppet making project beyond design and manufacture to include play-writing and performing with other school children.

"It has proved an excellent way of getting the children to develop and use a very wide range of skills which is a key part of our school's approach.

"The children get to develop their creative skills in design and handling materials, but their writing, reading and maths is stretched too and they learn about deadlines and teamwork."