PUPILS at a West Howe school are proving that it's cool to go organic by learning about their roots.

Heathlands Junior School has been running a gardening club for kids, so they can grow their own vegetables in school time.

Since last May, Michelle Lucas, who runs the club for years one to six, has been helping them to plant potatoes, broad beans, tomatoes, marrows and herbs, with support from B&Q.

Mrs Lucas said: "A lot of the kids live in flats and so they do not have gardens.

"I hope that it means the children are more likely to go home and ask for vegetables because they are more interested in them, now that they have learned how to produce them themselves.

"They cooked the potatoes up and ate them in an hour," she added.

"They have produced a giant marrow, which they will cook during their lesson time - it is huge."

The school suffered a setback when vandals attacked their greenhouse during the summer holidays, but head teacher Jackie Huggett is determined to see the project continue.

First published: October 8