A SCHEME to help encourage wildlife back into a Bromsgrove school’s grounds has been completed with the second half of a fruit tree planting project by pupils.

Students from Bromsgrove Senior, Prep, and Pre-Prep School helped plant 25 apple and pear trees – each a different variety from the Midlands – at Bromsgrove's Prep School.

Head groundsman Richard Hare said: "The school is very lucky to have such amazing grounds from the sports pitches to the manicured gardens around the buildings.

"There is a fantastic selection of trees with some dating back over 300 years.

"As a department, the grounds team is dedicated to preserving and maintaining the grounds to the highest possible standard.

"I encourage the gardeners to come up with projects that will improve areas around all of the school sites and encourage wildlife within the school's grounds."

The first half of orchard planting began last year.

It complements other projects undertaken to encourage wildlife, including replacing wooden panel fencing with hedges and introducing pollinating plants.

The school's gardening club next aims to plant British native bulbs around the fruit trees to encourage grasses and wild flowers to grow and create a wildlife habitat.