Nasa lends moon rock and meteorites to Romford’s Frances Bardsley School

Welcome to Romford’s very own school of rock - space rock that is!

Awe-struck pupils and visitors at Frances Bardsley School for Girls got a chance to examine pieces of the moon and a 3.5 billion-year-old meteorite, from Nasa’s priceless space collection, during a hush-hush visit on February 22.

Security was high to protect the galactic artefacts - which was lent to the Brentwood Road school from the US space agency for its Moon Week.

Organiser science teacher Russ Peters said: “The rocks were delivered by security guards and locked in a storage unit over night.

“We had to have a huge insurance as some rocks - loaned to other countries - have been found for sale on the Internet at very high prices”

He added: “It was absolutely fascinating to be able to handle the meteorites, but we breathed a sigh of relief when they were safely on their way to another school.”

Pupils were also able to gaze into the mysteries of the galaxies and universe, in a huge planetarium, which filled the dance hall.

Said Russ: “The dome was an immersion cinema that had 360 views, a unique teaching and learning experience that allowed the girls to see far in the distance and the interworking of the Large Hadron Collider.”

The school got to borrow the rocks through the UK’S Science and Technology Facilities Council.