IT was a first day of term which will live forever in the memories of children in a tiny Dorset village school.

The dreaded return to lessons was delayed for lucky year three pupils at the Dunbury School, Winterborne Whitechurch, who swapped the classroom for the cockpit of a Chinook helicopter.

Youngsters from the primary school’s Rowan class were welcomed by the crew of the stricken RAF chopper, which made an emergency landing in a field near the village at about 10pm on Monday.

Head teacher Caroline Hebditch spotted the helicopter on her way to school, and invited year three teacher Lisa Noyce to take her young charges to investigate.

“We didn’t tell the children what we were going to look at. We went to the bottom of the field and wondered if we could get closer.

“The crew came over and asked who would like to look in the cockpit and all the children’s hands shot up,” said Miss Noyce.

The helicopter had proved to be the ultimate teaching aid, she added, and abandoned her planned lesson in favour of painting, poetry, and fact sheets inspired by the Chinook and its crew.

“We had the helicopter on Tuesday, and snow today. I’m waiting to see what tomorrow brings,” she joked.

Pupil Sam Hughes said the visit to the helicopter had heightened excitement for his forthcoming eighth birthday.

A faulty gearbox forced the crew to abandon a flight from RAF Odiham near Basingstoke in Hampshire, but the villagers’ hospitality has brightened their impromptu visit.

Kate Connolly said she and her two children, Jessica, five, and three-year-old Madeleine, had been among the many visitors to the field.

“Many people have been over with snacks for the crew. It’s so exiting. We keep coming back to check it’s still there.”

Parish clerk, Bob Kempson, said he heard the noise of the helicopter at about 9.30pm on Monday.

“We didn’t know what it was. We couldn’t see anything because it was dark. At first we thought it was the police helicopter, but it turned out to be rather larger!” he said.

An RAF spokesman said the flight had been abandoned after a fault with the transmission. The crew hope to fly again today, she added.