A Leigh primary school has won a prestigious award for its innovative approach to teaching children about the world around them.

Darlinghurst Academy is just one of three schools in the whole of Essex to be awarded the Gold Accreditation Award for Learning outside the Classroom due to its excellent commitment to ensuring youngsters get as wide an appreciation of their surroundings as possible.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Uniquely, it is the only school in Southend to have its own smallholding, complete with an allotment for vegetables.

The smallholding is also home to a number of ducks, chickens and rabbits for the children to love and admire while gaining valuable knowledge at the same time.

Not only does it boast the allotment and smallholding, but Darlinghurst also has a fire pit, housed in “Hagrid’s Hut”, a double-decker bus for outdoor learning activities and six beach huts with their very own “beach”.

Principal Emma Nicholls said: “The inspector from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom visited us for a day and was greatly impressed with our approach to outdoor learning.”