PUPILS stood back and watched their work go up in smoke in an eye-opening lesson.

The youngsters at Conifers Primary School in Weymouth recreated the Great Fire of London with some help from Dorset Fire and Rescue firefighters.

Their model timber houses were set alight in a culmination of work done as part of the creative curriculum.

Year two teacher Antony Hutchinson said the six and seven-year-old pupils had been studying the 1666 fire for half a term.

He said: “This was a really nice conclusion to half a term’s work.

“The children made little houses out of timber and built a model London with cobbled streets.

“The idea was to show how fire spreads – the wind blew flames across the model and it was gone in about four minutes.

“You would think the kids would be gutted to see their work go up in flames but they weren’t.”

Weymouth firefighters supervised the model burning so it was done in a safe way.

Members of Mr Hutchinson’s class were joined by the other year two class taught by David Wilkinson.

The 59 year two pupils at the Radipole Lane school had previously been treated to a tour of the fire engine. Mr Hutchinson added: “Seeing the fire gave the children a bit of empathy.

“The children could feel the heat from the fire on their faces.

“They were trying to imagine what it would be like for a four-minute fire or a four-day fire.

“The aim was to give them a better understanding of a huge social event.”

Children also brushed up on their science skills by learning about different materials and how flammable they are.

Besides designing the houses and stuffing them with straw and paper shreds, youngsters also designed houses for the future.

Mr Hutchinson said: “It was all part of the creative curriculum to tie subjects together and to do combined learning through one theme.

“It was the first time we had ever done anything like the burning.

“Until they see it for themselves they do not fully understand or always remember the information you give them.

“If they can have something that’s going to sit in their memory for a long time and give them a fond memory of school it’s even better.”