Herm children tour marine ambulance

It was an impromptu opportunity that the school was presented with when St John staff from the Flying Christine announced they were coming over to the island for a business meeting.

Head teacher Mary Carey said she was asked whether the schoolchildren would like to take a tour.

‘I thought it was an ideal opportunity to see the world of work close up, so I said yes,’ she said.

‘The children were very excited when I told them about our visit as most of them had never been on the Flying Christine.’

The world of work is a new part of the children’s curriculum to ensure they are exposed to both self and career exploration in the world.

Ms Carey added that the boat’s visit had made such an impression on the children that it was all they could talk about on their return.

‘They were very interested and asked many questions, including how fast it could go, why it was called the Flying Christine and did they always know they wanted to work as a paramedic on a boat,’ she said.

‘When we got back to school, they wanted to draw and paint the Flying Christine, which they now want to send to the crew.’

She said it was an important experience for the children, who were often left disappointed when plans fell through due to living on an island and the effect of the weather, but that they grabbed the opportunity with both hands and had enjoyed every last second of it.

The children were presented with water bottles by the St John marine ambulance crew as a memento.