A CLASSROOM was regenerated to take children on a journey through space and time.

Children at the Dunbury Academy, in Winterbourne Whitechurch, got a shock when they entered their ICT suite to find themselves inside the TARDIS from Doctor Who - complete with Cybermen and Daleks.

Teachers described pupils as ‘dumbstruck’ and in awe as they explored the Doctor’s famous travelling device.

It was complete with a console to set a destination and even a sonic screwdriver, which activated the DVD player.

The redesign, which took staff and helpers more than two weeks to complete did have a purpose as it was part of the children’s topic of space.

Year five and six teacher David Payne with help from friends and staff built a wooden structure and painted around 250 egg cartons to build the TARDIS and decorate the room with people contributing Daleks and Cybermen and also building the centre console.

Children have been using the TARDIS to whizz through space and visit planets and learn all about them.

As well as this it was used to help the children with their creative writing, as they travelled to alien planets and wrote about what they saw and experienced.

Mr Payne spoke about the pupils' reaction.

He said: “They were in awe. They were struck dumb really but they really got in to it. The work that came out of it was really inspired.”

The TARDIS is just a small part of the space topic with the children being engaged in a series of different ways.

Recently a space dome was brought to the school, allowing the children to look at constellations in the night sky.

A sleepover is also being held at the school so that the children can get up at 5am and using telescopes go and look at the five planets that are currently visible in the morning sky.

Pupils recently got to watch a live stream with British astronaut Tim Peake who is currently orbiting the earth on the International Space Station.

Mr Payne said that the room has really helped the school as a whole.

He said: “The parents have been really supportive, it’s all be really good. It’s created a really good feeling in the school. It’s created a really good community feel.”

One parent, Suzannah Coop, praised the work the school was doing as a whole for the children.

She said: “The staff have just brought this extra life in to the school. They’re just doing so much stuff and the kids are so happy.”