A SCHOOL caretaker has been remembered by pupils as part of an ambitious playground venture.

Norman Symmonds, who died recently, had been caretaker at Roseberry School in Great Ayton for 19 years, and had worked hard to improve its wildlife area.

Now the school's Parent, Teacher and Friend's Association is building on his work to improve the environment and allow pupils to carry out nature studies, using £2,000 raised mainly by the children through a sponsored bounce.

With help from Penny Sinclair, a former community liason officer for Tees Forest, and Mark Bradley, the Roseberry and Coast warden for the National Trust, the school has started work on the project.

Mrs Sinclair explained that the improvements include two paved areas and wooden benches, new playground equipment, soccer target walls to be decorated on a nautical theme to signify the area's Captain Cook connection, as well as tree planting.

She said: "Plants will be grown at various points in the playground and trees will be grown to provide shade for the pupils.

"For the latter, six acer trees which pupils can use to study their red colours, growth rate and leaf shapes, and three alder trees for study of their growth and cones are being planted.

"It is also hoped in the future to grow a small copse for nature study work to complement the already established wildlife area."

Elaine Potter, headteacher at the 250-pupil school, said one of the benches would be dedicated to Mr Symmonds memory in recognition of his hard work developing the school's wildlife area.

"We teach the children to be environmentally conscious and these improvements will help our studies."

The pupil's plated nine trees, as part of the first phase of a native woodland area for the school.