JURASSIC giants stomped into an Oxford playground for an activity-packed history festival.

The Rumble Museum at Cheney School held its popular Iris Festival of Natural History, Classics, Art and More on Wednesday, which was attended by about 1,000 people.

The secondary school's site in Headington was transformed with the arrival of tarantulas, ball pits, sundials, birds of prey and a storytelling tent.

Two huge animatronic dinosaurs were brought along by the Travelling Natural History Museum, which entertained visitors with regular shows.

More than 50 other organisations took part including various Oxford University departments, Pitt Rivers Museum and Millets Farm Falconry Centre.

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The festival was a celebration of the Rumble Museum at Cheney, the first museum in a state school, and its ongoing quest to become accredited by the Arts Council.

Fossils, floating magnets and mosaics were among items on display, and expert guest speakers discussed subjects of palaeontology, ancient medicine, sculpture and museums.

Each display was located in themed ‘discovery zones’ such as science and natural history, archaeology, anthropology and art.

Cheney students also took part, running themed refreshment stalls and face-painting sessions.

Organiser Lorna Robinson, who runs the Rumble Museum, said: “We are enormously grateful to the very many organisations, volunteers, Cheney students and staff, and hundreds of visitors who came to enjoy everything on offer as the late afternoon sunshine spilled over the school site.

“The festival was intended to bring the whole community together to experience museums and objects, and we were so pleased to see so many people of all ages enjoying the event.”

The Rumble Museum is about to submit its final Arts Council accreditation application.