CLASSROOMS have moved to the garden as pupils get their say on the design of a sculpture.

A nature reserve in Stockton will be developed over the next few years and schoolchildren are working alongside Tees Valley Wildlife Trust on the project.

A £10,000 grant from the Banks Foundation will bring the Bowesfield Nature Reserve, off Concorde Way, to life.

Pupils from Harewood Primary School, Preston Primary, Oxbridge Lane Primary, Bader Primary School and Bowesfield Primary School are all taking part in the project.

It will involve a day of activities, including a morning visit to the reserve to see how the site is developing and the wildlife which lives there.

Upon returning to the school, the children will meet local artist Andrew McKeown, who will work with them in their classrooms to design a sculptural feature for the reserve and a site information leaflet to let residents know how the site is developing.

Jonathan Pounder, project officer, said "This is a great opportunity to get local children involved in the development of the nature reserve. The artwork and leaflet produced as a result of the project will be very visual marks that the children can return to with their families in the future and take pride in their involvement."

To find out more about the development of the nature reserve and the work of the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, contact Mr Pounder on (01287) 636382.