As teachers and children across the country prepare for their long summer holidays, they could be forgiven for winding down and taking it easy in their final week.

But at Woodloes Junior School, Deansway, headteacher Geoff Claridge believes in doing things a little differently.

“The children must be challenged all the way to the final day and final minute of the school term,” he said.

Youngsters working on the finishing touches of their rainforest projects were testament to their headteacher’s viewpoint.

Several clamoured around teacher Ann Cleaver to get her opinion and approval on the t-shirts and games they have created on a planet-saving theme.

They were taught about the importance of caring for their own community before learning about the wider impact of environmental issues.

And the children were able to put these lessons into practice in a new garden in the school’s courtyard.

Mr Claridge said: “The courtyard used to get vandalised so we could never do anything with it. But once we got high fences built around the school, the children were able to take out the overgrown weeds and plant a sensory garden.

“They had to pledge to keep the garden looking good and the whole experience has been a good learning curve for the children.”

Many of the activities undertaken by the youngsters are put on the school’s web page - www.woodloesjunior.warwickshire.site-edit.net - to keep parents updated.

“I reckon that there is no better primary school website in the country. It is very inclusive and often provides up-to-date information of what the children have been doing that day.”

In another section of the school new facilities for children with hearing problems have just been built.

Children and teenagers up to the age of 18 can use the hearing suite, which includes a soundproof test and observation room. These facilities are the first of their kind to be built in Warwickshire and its location was chosen because of its central location in the county.

Mr Claridge added: "We did this because we wanted to help the wider community and we were not just looking at the benefits."

Children aged three and four have already been tested and audiologists will make sure they are supplied with the right hearing aids.