Pupils at St Ivo School were joined in the classroom by spiders and snakes on Friday (January 9) – along with a couple of film star monkeys.

Two animal handlers from a group called Amazing Animals brought a boa constrictor, a green iguana, a kookaburra, two Bolivian squirrel monkeys and a Chilean rose tarantula into the school as part of a teaching session for pupils who are studying rainforests and the world’s ecosystems. The two squirrel monkeys, who showed off and performed some tricks, starred in the recent film Paddington.

Geography teacher Darren Gray said although the session was aimed at the geography pupils, all the school’s 300 Year 9s took part.

“It was fantastic and lots of fun and it gave the students a real hands-on experience,” he added. “The geography students are studying ecosystems and it gives them a real insight into how animals and reptiles can survive and adapt in deserts and rainforests.”