Last Wednesday, 1 May, 300 seven- and eight-year-old children attended a thought-provoking opera performance about climate change.

The interactive opera, titled Paradise Planet, was written by Alex Groves and Rebecca Hanbury and is a collection of ocean stories for Key Stage 2 children which focuses on the impact of global warming.

The very day that MPs approved a motion to declare an environment and climate change emergency, the performance used song, live musicians and sound-design wizardry to show the children that they have the power to change the world.

Clare McCarron, a teacher at Minchinhampton Primary said: "The children enjoyed it very much indeed and it was lovely to see how absorbed they were in something so different for them. We are doing a 'Blue Planet' topic at the moment so it lent itself very well to that."

The singers explained a number of current environmental issues such as the floating islands of waste in the oceans and how important it is that rubbish is disposed of correctly and that our beaches are kept clean.

Children from across Gloucestershire and Wiltshire attended the performance which was held in Rendcomb College's Griffin Theatre as part of the College's outreach programme.

With a comprehensive teachers' pack, the opera covered a number of curriculum-linked topics including the KS2 Science syllabus on 'Living Things.'

The opera classified and named animals, food chains, changing natural environments, human impact, conservation, and looked at working scientifically.

The children also had songs to learn prior to the performance so they could join in with the professional singers.

The schools who attended the performance at Rendcomb College were: Oaksey Primary, Wanborough Primary, Minchinhampton Primary, Cheltenham College Prep, St Margaret's Prep, Pinewood Prep, Airthrie, Rendcomb College Junior School and The King's School, Gloucester.