PUPILS jumped to it at Marchwood Junior School - springing into action in pursuit of science.

All 320 children and nearly 20 staff at the New Forest school joined nearly 4,000 other schools across Britain, all jumping up and down for the same 60 seconds.

They hoped to produce enough good vibrations to make needles leap on seismographs monitored by scientists all over the country.

However, if the Earth failed to move in the Forest, at least the pro-science campaign got the new school term off to a flying start.

Steve Bassett, head teacher at Marchwood, said: "Everybody jumped - including all the staff, though some were flagging towards the end.

"It was a very long minute and I think we were all looking forward to the cool-down period.

"But we hope we were part of the largest co-ordinated jump ever, and it will get into The Guinness Book of Records."

Science manager Evelyn Denison organised the event for the Marchwood school. She said: "The jump was to introduce International Science Year.

"Scientists will be looking at the effects of so many people all jumping at the same time and we made our own seismometers in school to record our own impact.

"It's an exciting start to Science Year and we plan more activities in the future, including a science week next term."

Hampshire education inspector for Science Pauline Paterson was present at the Marchwood jump.