Eagles class have been learning about rocks as part of their geology module for science, so they were thrilled to visit the Earth Science Centre at Stoke St Michael and visit a real working quarry. Students had to bring wellies and put on hi-vis clothing and hard hats when they got to the centre. They were then driven in a mini bus through the working quarry to look at the enormous drills, cranes and trucks that are used to extract and transport the stone. Students were encouraged to handle the rocks and try and identify the different varieties, which tied in with their science lessons. They were also given giant shovels to shovel them up and load them into the lorries, ready to be crushed and sorted. A safety lesson prior to the quarry tour ensured that students understood what they had to do and why in order to work safely at a quarry. They were also told what all the different rocks quarried at Moon’s Hill are used for in our daily lives. The Earth Science Centre is a charitable trust mainly sponsored by the Mendip Quarry producers. The site also includes woodlands, a river and a flooded quarry pit that now looks like a lake. There is also a main ecological classroom building that was specially designed and built for the centre with the aim of being energy efficient. It conserves heat and water and is furnished with sustainable materials. The students and staff had a great day out and were amazed at the scale of the machinery and how the site resembled a lunar landscape. Thank you to all the staff at the Earth Science Centre for sharing their knowledge and expertise and keeping everyone safe while having fun.