Young gardeners from a Chiddingfold primary school swapped the classroom for a construction site to learn how new housing developments can support local wildlife.

Pupils from the gardening club at St Mary's CofE Primary School visited Elivia Homes' new Oakland Grove development, where they helped install bug hotels and discovered more about biodiversity and sustainable building.

Working alongside the Elivia Homes team, the children placed bug hotels around the site to provide shelter for insects and pollinators, while learning about the importance of protecting habitats and encouraging wildlife to flourish.

The visit formed part of the school's outdoor learning programme, giving pupils a chance to see how environmental features can be incorporated into new housing developments.

Sarah Turpin, Sales and Marketing Director for Elivia Homes Central, said: "It was wonderful to welcome the pupils from St Mary's to Oakland Grove and share with them the importance of biodiversity and sustainable development.

"Seeing the children so engaged and enthusiastic about the environment was fantastic and we hope the visit inspired them to think about the positive ways we can all help support local wildlife. Community engagement is incredibly important to us at Elivia Homes, and we were delighted to work with the school on this initiative."

Year 4 teacher Catherine Patrick said the visit had brought the children's classroom learning to life.

"The children had a brilliant time visiting Oakland Grove and learning more about biodiversity in a real-life setting," she said.

"Installing the bug hotels was a fantastic hands-on activity and helped bring their classroom learning to life. We are very grateful to the Elivia Homes team for making the visit so enjoyable and informative."

The initiative is part of Elivia Homes' commitment to creating sustainable communities while encouraging local wildlife to thrive alongside new developments.