CHILDREN at Verwood Church of England First School and Nursery have planted hundreds of saplings in their new woodland.

After being gifted a piece of land by a neighbouring school, which they named ‘Faraway Field’, two school councillors wrote an application to The Woodland Trust asking for saplings to plant.

The children were "thrilled" to learn they had been given 420 free trees to plant and got straight to planting them with the help of Hannah Farmer, the school's outdoor learning helper.

Headteacher, Adam Parsons, said: “We are extremely proud of our school council, eco team and all our children who care passionately about the environment.”

He went on to add: “Partnership really works when we all have the same values, we have invited Hillside First school councillors up for a morning to have a tour of the school and we will give them some trees to plant too.”

The pupils will also be adding a mud oven, bug houses and nesting boxes to ‘Faraway Field’.

CEO Liz West said: “I am immensely proud of all the children who have worked so hard to create something so special for their school and I look forward to receiving a tour once the planting is complete.”