PUPILS enjoyed making a large model of Romsey Abbey to help with their learning as Covid-19 prevented their annual study day and sleepover in the town’s 900 year old church,

Mr Mark Harris, acting Deputy Headteacher and Year 5 teacher at Romsey Abbey C of E Primary School said: “The pupils wanted to start our topic on Romsey Abbey with something big and memorable so we decided to make an enormous model of the Abbey in our classroom.

“It is so big that the children can lie down inside and recreate that special sleepover moment.

“The children have created beautiful stained-glass windows with carefully planned and crafted designs. They added transepts, the belfry and lots of the intricate details.

“Children also created fact files which have been stuck upon the roof, giving interesting details of the Abbey and its complex past. We will be using this hands on-experience alongside virtual tours of the Abbey to become Abbey experts over the coming weeks.

“This is the biggest cardboard model I have ever made with a class and it has really captured the imagination. The children have enjoyed exploring, relaxing and even reading their books inside ‘Mini-Abbey’. It was really special to work as a team to create something together that we are really proud of. The children rose to the challenge and are now really keen to discover so much more about this stunning building and its eventful history.”

Pupils reflected on how the Abbey was built, how peaceful it is inside and how difficult stained glass windows must be to make in real life.

The nine and ten year olds enjoyed the project so much they are now keen to recreate the whole market town in cardboard.