Pupils will be able to make the most of what it is hoped will be a hot and sunny summer term thanks to a new outdoor classroom.

A team of volunteers from gas network company SGN spent a day at High Firs Primary School in Swanley to clear undergrowth, ivy, and prune trees to make space for seating made from chopped logs, a shelter for bags and coats, and a den.

They also made a “bug hotel” from old wooden pallets, straw, moss and leaves.

SGN’s Andrew Miles came up with the idea of helping the school as his wife Emma works there as a teaching assistant.

“Teachers had the idea for an outdoor classroom last September, and had been trying to clear the area themselves after lessons finished, but it was taking a long time,” he explained.

“SGN runs a Community Action Programme, in which every employee gets one day on company time to help out in their local community. When I mentioned this to my wife, she told the school and the rest is history.

“We had a great day and even had school dinners with the children at lunchtime.

“After we’d finished, the head teacher came down to the garden with some of the children and they were delighted with what we’d managed to achieve.”

Reception teacher Emily Allen added: “The benefits for children of doing practical activities in an outdoor learning environment are well-documented.

“In particular, it allows them to develop their ability to communicate and co-operate with their peers, as well as giving them the foundations for increasing their independence and self-belief in their own abilities.

“The SGN team’s help meant we were able to achieve our aim of creating an outdoor classroom within a much shorter time-frame than expected.

“Not only did they make sure the end result closely matched our original concept, they also built on the initial designs and transformed the area into an amazing learning space for the children.

“They were an absolute credit to their company.”