A recent non-uniform day at Droitwich Spa High School raised £776 for Gloverspiece Mini Farm in nearby Ladywood.

Tom Southwick and Steven Behan, two of the school's year 11 students, have been attending the farm every week since September as part of their alternative curriculum that prepares them for the world of work.

At the eleven acre canalside farm, they learned the correct way to work with, care for and handle a wide variety of animals including horses, ducks and geese, pigs, alpacas and ferrets.

The farm offers a Forest School, activity days, road shows that go into schools and care homes, and work experience and volunteering opportunities for a wide range of ages and abilities.

Rebecca Piesse, the teacher in charge of their placement, said: "They have been brilliant.

"I am so proud of the way they have got on with the range of things they are asked to do at the farm. "They have done a range of jobs, including feeding, watering and cleaning the animals, mucking out stables, lots of poo picking, maintenance of fences and exercising the animals.

"As we have just come out of the wettest winter on record, it has often been very cold, wet and muddy but the two lads have not missed a week and have never complained about the conditions."

The money raised on the non-uniform day will contribute to the on-going care of the animals, as well as developing the travelling road show and helping pay for a new barn with kitchen and toilets, classroom area, hand washing facilities, a laundry, an office, first aid and small animal area.