PUPILS are perfecting their baking, icing and decorating skills for their very own bake off in an attempt to raise cash for a £20,000 artificial turf area.

Inspired by hit BBC television show The Great British Bake Off, children at Windmill Primary School, Headington, Oxford, asked staff if they could hold a bake off.

Now 120 pupils, staff members and parents have signed up and are working hard on their cakes ready for the event today.

The cakes will be sold off after they have been judged to help raise money for a new turf area at the school, which is expanding to become the county’s largest primary school.

One of the contestants from the show, Northampton-based Ben Frazer, who took part in series two and now runs baking company Cupcake Artisan, will be part of the judging team.

Class teacher Rebecca Honey, who is organising the bake off along with teaching assistant Louise Noonan, said: “It originally came from our older children who were inspired by The Great British Bake Off and wanted to run a competition.

“We had a baking competition among our own staff and the children got wind of that and wanted to do the same.

“It just grew and grew and we are still getting people saying they want to enter.”

Entries will be divided into three groups, Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 children in one class, Key Stage 2 children in the second and parents and staff in the third.

Bakers can choose to cook biscuits, small cakes or a large cake or dessert.

As well as Mr Frazer, chef Tanya Evans, who works for Oxford restaurateur Clinton Pugh, Miss Honey and Ms Noonan will judge the cakes based on appearance, presentation and taste.

Miss Honey said she had expected 30 to 40 entries and was taken aback by how popular it seemed to be with boys and girls of all ages.

Miss Honey said: “The children are really keen and have been practising their recipes.

“There is weighing and measuring and lots of skills that can be learned from it and it is really important they learn how to cook.”

Max Webb, 10, from Headington, thought the bake off would be “really fun”.

He said: “To make a good cake you have to put hard work and effort in.

“I have been busy practising and I’m really excited.”

Edith Peacock, 11, from Headington, said: “I really enjoy cooking, I like trying lots of new things and I especially like making puddings.”