Rockets were fired into the sky yesterday as part of an initiative at a leading college.

More than 700 students took part in Mission Possible, a day of events designed to give pupils from Allertonshire School an early welcome to Northallerton College.

It was one of the final events in an eight-week programme which has seen all 300 pupils in the top year group at the Allertonshire given the chance to ease themselves into life at the college.

As well as launching the rockets, made from plastic bottles and powered by compressed air from a bicycle pump, youngsters were also challenged to build a giant arch, draped with flags from all 32 nations which competed at the World Cup.

College principal Jennifer Slater: "It's a significant step to help students settle in and make the best possible start at the college. So far as we know, we are the only college in the country doing this. We have designed the programme to form an effective and beneficial bridge between the school and the college."