THINGS were simply tree-mendous for year-one pupils at Takeley Primary School on Friday when they planted their very own cherry tree. Charlie Chamberlain, year one teacher, said: We put up a pretend tree in the classroom and over the term the children ha

THINGS were simply tree-mendous for year-one pupils at Takeley Primary School on Friday when they planted their very own cherry tree.

Charlie Chamberlain, year one teacher, said: "We put up a pretend tree in the classroom and over the term the children have been learning about the things that happen in a tree including an 'owl' that laid its eggs in the branches."

As part of this, pupils came into class one morning to find a letter attached to the tree from a 'Mr CH Saw' who worked for the council saying the tree had been condemned and was going to be cut down.

"I was quite surprised by the reaction from the children," explained Mrs Chamberlain. "Their reaction was 'that's our tree, they can't cut it down'."

To teach children about how they can change things, pupils then wrote letters to the fictitious council to try and persuade them not to cut the tree down until the young owls had left the nest.

It was then that some of the pupils came up with the idea of replacing the pretend tree with a real one outside.

"Our caretaker Paul Jarvis supplied the tree and the children decided where it should be planted," she explained.

It will be used as an educational aid to learn more about plants and how they grow.