IT was perfection and last minute changes in the final rehearsal of the children’s Carnival dance parade.

The practice took place on Wednesday October 28 from 2.30pm at Robert Blake Science College.

More than 150 children from Robert Blake Science College, Chilton Trinity Technological College, St John and St Francis and Westover Green will take part in a dance parade on carnival day.

This will come as part of the entertainment programme which leads up to the procession.

The organisers of Bridgwater Carnival have developed a range of activities for local schools to deliver to their students, each designed to incorporate elements of the normal school curriculum.

As well as the dance parade, design and artwork has been used in the decorating of fibre glass masks.

The 25 different masks are now displayed in retail outlets across the town, creating a carnival trail.

Scales, construction and technology are also key subjects that have been explored in the creation of model carnival carts, which children of all ages can submit for judging in a competition.

In previous years, some of these models have incorporated moving parts, sound and lighting and there is a special award this year for creating a cart of the future.

The short story and poem competition is also returning, where students are invited to write about a carnival experience.

Workshops are being delivered by Festive Road to local schools which teach the art of making lanterns from using recycled materials.

The children will have the opportunity to parade the lanterns on Friday 6 November at the firework display and again on the big day on November 7.

Chris Hocking, schools coordinator and life member of Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival committee, said: "We also have a team of people who visit schools to discuss the history and traditions of Bridgwater Carnival, which the children really enjoy.

"In addition to learning more about social history and tradition, the students get a chance to hold a squib cosh and to dress up in carnival costumes.

"We hope this experience, and all the school activities, will lead them into becoming carnivalites of the future."