SCHOOL & COLLEGE VISITS

Schools and Colleges should contact the SSE campaign office on 01279 870558 or info@stopstanstedexpansion.com to discuss requirements.

Children at St. James School, Harlow during a presentation
by Ray Woodcock about Stansted Airport

Children at St. Nicholas School, Old Harlow during a presentation
by Ray Woodcock about Stansted Airport

Children at Richard Whittington Primary, Bishop's Stortford
asking questions during a presentation about Stansted Airport

MP Debates Airport Plans with Pupils
Report by the Herts & Essex Observer - 9 March 2006

As debate over the expansion of Stansted Airport rumbles on, Bishop's Stortford's MP has been taking a look at the issue with pupils at Richard Whittington Primary.

Mark Prisk visited the school to speak to the nine to 11-year olds in Years 5 and 6 about the proposals.

During the past weeks, the youngsters have been working on a cross curriculum project about the airport which has included geography, literacy, ICT and maths.

Ray Woodcock of the Stop Stansted Expansion group has already talked to the pupils who have also used BAA source material in their work to create a balanced argument.

The results of a questionnaire were correlated. This showed 57 per cent against expansion, 25 per cent in favour and 18 per cent undecided.

The school's deputy head Ronnie Westell said: "The children have been enthusiastic throughout; it has been very good."

It's always rewarding when, following an invitation by a college for further education, the presentation given was encouraged with lots of questions and discussion. This is what happened when Carole Favre, the Course Tutor on Travel and Tourism, invited SSE to give a talk about Stansted Airport and its possible enlargement.

Carole explained that Stansted Airport was the subject her students had been given as a project and this talk was part of the inputs that the students were to receive.

Stop Stansted Expansion's information was supplemented with data from the Office of National Statistics related to Inward and Outward tourism both in visitor numbers and value. The questions raised by the Institute's group were far ranging to cover the consequences on the local community, environment and climate change.

Stop Stansted Expansion were invited by Dr Walkers's CoE Primary School, Fyfield to talk to 27 children in year 6 about the implications of more expansion at Stansted Airport. A few days later BAA also talked to this class. 

Dave Green, the teacher, subsequently wrote to say that 75% of the class were opposed to airport expansion following the talks by BAA and SSE. He also sent in four reports written by his pupils which are published below with permission of their parents.

Stop Stansted Expansion were invited to Bentfield Primary School, Stansted Mountfitchet to talk with year 6 pupil's concerning one of the local issues, the proposed expansion of Stansted Airport.

26 children attended the discussion along with Sue Giles, the deputy head.

The talk was conducted under the subject of Citizenship where the children were learning how a huge project such as Expansion at Stansted Airport would impact life in local villages and how citizens could influence or prevent the development.

The children had clearly considered many of the related issues and asked lots of questions following the presentation that Ian gave. The children also demonstrated their keen interest some staying after the discussion and asking more questions, missing out on some of their lunch break.

Our conclusion can only be that these children really do want to know more about their environment and the way adults are shaping the locality that we will leave them.

A paper written by Luke Sims aged 11 years demonstrated an example of the children's awareness.

Stop Stansted Expansion were invited to Manor Fields Primary School, Bishops Stortford to talk about BAA's plans for expanding the airport and the effect this would have on our local environment. The children were studying the issues related to the airport and how expansion would influence our community and area.

Talks were given to two classes of 30, providing the children with facts about the current situation at Stansted Airport and what is likely to happen if another runway were to be built.

The children were encouraged to ask many questions and the SSE team did not want to restrict the questions the children asked - after all, it is their future environment that will be changed.

Teacher, Vickie Lightfoot, reported that she was very pleased with what was presented and the many and varied questions from the children. SSE were very impressed by the considerable interest and understanding that the children showed.