PUPILS, staff and members of the local community have all been taking part in a “big dig” at one York village school.

The community at Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy in Strensall on the outskirts of York is planning to establish a brand new allotment site.

Nearly 50 people came along earlier this month from across the community to help fill raised beds with soil, dig out new planting spaces and build paths.

Not content with digging, the team also managed to assemble a compost site, collect pollinating flower cuttings and create willow bird feeders too.

There are now plans to start a herbology bed full of magical plants and a Spanish garden to link with the school’s MFL curriculum.

Thanks to the support from Friends of Robert Wilkinson, there were new tools and equipment to use. Volunteers were also able to apply lots of new found expertise thanks to the support of Learning through Landscapes and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

Teachers Claire Hollis and Sian Boyd, who organised the event, couldn’t believe how transformed the space looked.

“We never imagined in a million years that we would have so many amazing helpers and we are simply staggered by how wonderful the space now looks," they said.

“This will be a brilliant opportunity for all our children to learn how to observe, nurture and harvest plants and we hope it helps to inspire them to become active, conscious custodians of the changing environment they live in.”

Ian Davidson, a governor at Robert Wilkinson, said: “I think and hope this can be just the start of a fantastic adventure where we can enhance outside facilities at the school and really bring the community on the journey with us.”

You can follow the progress of the allotment site and all the other outdoor projects being planned this year on the Instagram channel @robwilkoutdoor.

Robert Wilkinson head teacher Donna Bedford said: “The energy and enthusiasm Claire and Sian have shown in getting this off the ground is amazing.”

Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy is part of Ebor Academy Trust, which has 23 schools across York, Selby, Hull and the East Riding and on the Yorkshire Coast.