Youngsters braved their fear of insects at John Bentley School in Calne on Monday when they had the chance to touch and hold a range of different animals.

An expert from education company Zoolab showed the creatures to an audience of primary school children, year seven pupils from John Bentley and youngsters from Humpty Dumpty Nursery.

It was part of an initiative by the school to help children feel comfortable when they move to secondary school after completing their primary education.

Animals included a giant cockroach, a corn snake, a giant African land snail, a hermit crab and a tarantula.

The session also included information about animals’ diets and the ways which they can adapt to cope with a change in environment.

Steve Heal, headteacher of Holy Trinity School, sent 15 children from year four and five on the trip.

He said: “It’s essential to get our children used to the bigger world of secondary school. It can be very intimidating for children if they have never been there, but we want to get them used to going back and forth.”