PUPILS at Shirenewton Primary School have a new wildlife pond to look forward to when they return from the summer holidays, thanks to a donation from the local Lions club and the tireless fundraising of one pupil.

Caitlin Morgan raised £500 by doing a sponsored finger-knit, and planned to knit enough wool to measure the distance around the school buildings.

But she was so enthusiastic she ended up knitting enough wool to stretch around the perimeter of the school one-and-a-half times.

Caitlin’s hard work means her name now adorns the gate of the Shirenewton School Pond, which was opened officially in a ceremony on Monday afternoon.

Also thanked for their contribution is the Chepstow and Caldicot Lions Club, who donated money towards the pond’s construction.

Spirits have been high at the school thanks to the results received recently from Welsh schools’ inspectors, Estyn, who visited Shirenewton Primary in March.

In a first for Monmouthshire, the school was judged as ‘excellent’ across three of the five areas of inspection – wellbeing and attitudes to learning, teaching and learning experiences, and leadership and management.

“We’re really pleased Estyn recognised how hard all the staff work,” headteacher Jill Mitchell said. “They said the staff went above and beyond what is expected of them, and that’s the thing which pleased me the most. They deserve it.”