A secondary school has been given an extra cash boost to get plans for an eco-classroom off the ground.

The food forest project is being delivered by Dartford Science and Technology College and the community-led charity Healthy Living Centre in Dartford.

Proposals would see the unique classroom built on the existing school site in Heath Lane.

The idea is to teach students about food production, plant life and soil composition, all while reaping the benefits of hands-on learning.

Plans consist of a classroom space, greenhouse, composting toilet, water infiltration ditches and a food forest made almost entirely from edible plants.

A fundraising campaign got under way earlier this year which raised an initial £16,000 and an additional £10,000 has also been pledged courtesy of the Aviva Community Fund, which supports small charities and forward-thinking projects.

Now the school has been handed an extra boost courtesy of the Kent Community Foundation which has pledged a further £4,050 grant to be used towards the first phase of the communal project.

The money will fund a promotional film, a marquee to use as a volunteer hub, materials to construct a temporary composting toilet, and the hire of a digger to prepare the ground to plant 16 trees and 30 shrubs.

Once completed, the project will benefit not only the students but also help the community to understand more about locally grown sustainable food.

Nikolas Pierlejewski, growing community project officer at the Healthy Living Centre, said: “Our project is designed to help address some of the most pressing issues of our time, including dependence on unsustainable food systems, biodiversity loss and increasing mental health concerns.

"This initiative will not only make a positive impact on the students of the Dartford Science and Technology College, but also on pupils from feeder primary schools and the wider community.

"This is only the first step and ultimately, we want to open sites across Dartford, using communal food growing to improve health and wellbeing, social connections, skills, and knowledge and, potentially, small business creation.”