A lottery grant and the tireless help of parents has helped children at one Oxfordshire village school get to grips with nature.

Horspath Primary School has opened its new wild garden – to the delight of pupils.

Chris Jarvis, education officer at Oxford’s University Museum of Natural History, is pictured hunting for bugs in the new wildlife area with, from left, pupils Hannah Austen, Alfie Bushnell and Daniel Digges.

Pupils will have access to wildlife, a pond and new plants, and soon hope to install cameras in the bird boxes and pond for the school to watch.

Nine-year-old Daniel Digges said: “It’s really good, the sculptures of the owls and squirrels are my favourite part.”

The garden was funded with a Lottery grant of £8,800 and built over the last year.

Headteacher Emma Coleman said: “We are really proud of it, it will be a fabulous resource for the children.

“This wouldn’t have happened without the help of residents in Horspath and a dedicated group of parents who kept this project moving.”