Teacher on a high after facing fears
Teacher Neil Bate was for the high jump when he told his pupils they were banned from playing football after Aston Villa lost a match.
And they got their own back by challenging him to conquer his fear of heights by climbing 55ft up to take on the ropes on an adventure course.
Mr Bate, aged 29, was nominated by his Year 6 class at Rufford Primary School, Stourbridge, to tackle the UK's highest indoor rope course, at Quest in Dudley's Merry Hill shopping centre. In their nomination they cited their reason – the football ban after his team lost.
They also moaned that he made them do a lot of hard work during the school term and that he made them sit out in the cold during lunchtime.
Mr Bate said: "Wonderfully, my class nominated me to face my fears as revenge on me.
"I had to go and climb the highest levels to face my fears." His pupils watched in glee as he looked terrified to start with.
Gradually, he inched further along obstacles including high beams and walk the plank, making a sign of the cross as he went, and eventually got to grips with learning the ropes. His ordeal ended with him facing up to a scary "sheer drop".
Mark Knox, manager at Quest Merry Hill, said: "It was absolutely fantastic to see Mr Bate reach the 17-metre summit.
