A DREAM of self-sufficiency and horticulture is driving a group of teens who are set to transform an unloved field.

Endon High School has rented a one and a half acre plot opposite the school in Leek Road which teachers, pupils and residents want to use to create a community garden with a pond, vegetable garden, open-air classroom and walkways.

The school has entered The Sentinel's Class Act competition hoping to win extra funding to get the project underway in spring.

They could snap up one of the £5,000 prizes, sponsored by Barclays Money Skills, which would help cover the cost of labour and materials.

Deputy headteacher Richard Wood said: "The land belongs to a local guy who has a lot of connections with the school.

"We noticed the land wasn't being used so we asked if we could use it as a community garden. He has allowed us to rent it for a nominal annual fee. It is a lot bigger than we initially thought.

"Our intention is to try to get the community involved, bringing everyone together under one umbrella.

"We've already had some fantastic support from parents who have cleared the land, levelled part of it, put down hard core and laid a path.

"The dream is to hold garden open days, grow vegetables which can be eaten at a community Christmas dinner at the school and to maybe have a market selling the produce from the garden."

The school and local community have jointly set up an Endon Community Garden Association, a constituted group which will manage and oversee the project and is being chaired by Paula Truelove.

They have been granted 105 hedgerow trees from the Queen as part of the Jubilee celebrations, including two royal oaks.

Those will be planted at the end of February and in March and April the association members and pupils are planning to create a growing area and raised beds.

For the first time the school has started a BTEC horticultural course which already has five year 10 pupils enrolled.

They will be particularly involved in the garden project, working on the design, studying the soil and managing the vegetable crops.

Course co-ordinator Karen Monk said: "We have limited space within the school grounds, but it is amazing for the BTEC student to have the opportunity to cultivate this plot of land.

"The are excited about it, the course is mostly practical based and they do a lot of soil science and crop production studies. We are hoping to produce potatoes, onions, garlic, sprouts, beans and a small crop of barley.

"And we may even keep goats and chickens at a later stage which would be a great attraction for our three feeder primary schools."