A NEW pond at Sixpenny Handley First School has won a Wessex Watermark Award.

A small pond was built in the corner of the school field and the award of £300 will enable the staff to put up fencing around it. The Wessex Watermark Award, which is in its 19th year, provides funds for environmental projects within the Wessex Water area.

The school has an active eco club and is working towards achieving a Green Flag Award after being given the Silver Eco Schools Award last year. Supportive parents and a friends association donated time and materials to complete the pond project.

Headteacher Clare Hewitt said: “Nothing we teach about nature could possibly be as riveting as watching the transformation that the new pond will make to our immediate environment.

"We have seen all our children from early years to Year 4 eagerly explore the outdoor space which has been created for them. With a larger outdoor area the school believes this love for the environment will further be encouraged as they progress through the school.”