DRESSED as Bob the Builder, the pupils of Sycamore class joined staff at Woodlea Primary School, in Whitehill, to greet the mechanical digger at the start of the improvement works to the reception playground began.

The children watched mesmerised as the digger, donated by Altis tool hire in Lindford, was used to remove unwanted bushes, creating a larger area for the children to play in.

Pupil Aaron Hankin said: “It was fun sitting up high on the digger.”

Headteacher Marcella Dobson said: “We are very grateful to Altis for the hire of the digger. This is the first phase of a five-year plan to rejuvenate the reception playground area at Woodlea and we are excited to see the first step of what we hope will be a complete transformation of the play area for our youngest pupils.

“We are lucky to have so much parental support with the project. The next phase is for some volunteer parents to erect two sheds for the children to use as an outdoor role play area, with a tunnel joining the two areas where the bushes were.

“We will also be creating a lovely digging area for the children to explore the mini-beasts that live in the school habitat.

“Rob Bonner, our Outdoor Woodland Learning School lead teacher, has also cleared an area in the woods and we are hoping to get some volunteers to build fencing to enable us to allow the children to access more of the woodland area and almost double the amount of space they have to play in.

“We are lucky to have such amazing grounds and we want to allow the children to make the most of these areas. If any local companies or groups are able to offer their support we would be grateful if they could contact the school.”