Science is out of this world at a school where children are growing seeds flown in from space.
Pupils at Barnard Castle Preparatory School are taking part in Rocket Science, a project being run by the UK Space Agency and the Royal Horticultural Society to encourage pupils to become space biologists.
The children were sent seeds that travelled from Bailkonur, Kazakhstan, on the Soyuz 44S rocket to the International Space Station (ISS).
The seeds were stored in microgravity aboard the ISS for six months before being returned to Earth.
Year 3 children at Barnard Castle Preparatory School have planted the space seeds along with seeds from the same batch that remained on Earth and will monitor growth patterns to find out any differences or similarities.
Teacher Fiona Killeen said: “We are one of the lucky schools to be involved in this fantastic project.
“Year 3 will enter their results in a national database and findings from across the country will be published, thereby contributing to the knowledge-bank scientists have been building since the beginning of space flight 50 years ago.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our children and they are very excited about the project.”