THESE children aren t afraid of spiders! Legging it around the world, spiders have been helping and inspiring pupils at Kingshott School in Hitchin to learn about the world. Reception classes have packed their toy spiders off to exciting holiday destina

THESE children aren't afraid of spiders!

Legging it around the world, spiders have been helping and inspiring pupils at Kingshott School in Hitchin to learn about the world.

Reception classes have packed their toy spiders off to exciting holiday destinations, taking them to some incredible places including Kenya, Iceland, Hong Kong and Canada.

On their return, the children mark the spiders' travels on their world map and discuss the wonderful places they've been.

Teacher Penny Tye began the spider expeditions in 2001.

She said: "We were in a building right next to farmland and so got lots of spiders in the classroom, some pretty big ones, so we'd use this plastic spider as a bit of a joke.

"They all loved it and some of the children used to be scared of spiders so it helped them to get over their fears.

"We use it to teach them early geography skills by hiding it around the classroom and taking them on trips around the world."

The children now have five friendly arachnids, called Stanley, Sally, Cyril, Sophia and Sidney and over Christmas their holidays have taken them to India, Israel and Gran Canaria.

The most adventurous trip took a Kingshott spider right over the top of Mount Everest in a micro-light and one spider has moved permanently to Bangkok, having been left in a hotel room.