PUPILS have been learning how to grow money.

Children at the River School in Rose Bank, Worcester, were given a pound and challenged to see if they could make it grow to raise funds for their new classroom block.

Teacher Stephanie Boyd said: “In the Bible there’s a story about a man giving various talents – amounts of money – to three individuals, the challenge was to see what they would do with those talents.

Invest them wisely and make them grow a good return or neglect them.”

Many enterprising ideas for growing a pound were used, including buying a sponge and soap and car washing; and buying ingredients, making cakes and selling them. A few pupils even ran a talent competition, with entry fee and prize money, Some youngsters saw huge personal growth with their talent investments – overall pupils saw a 600 per cent growth.

Ms Boyd said: “This project helped the pupils as young as five and up to the age of 16, feel practically and personally involved in the development of their own school but also helped reinforce the idea that we all have been entrusted with talents, gifts, time and resources, and investing them wisely can reward not only ourselves but others with a good return for years to come.”

The River School is a Christian School built on Christian and biblical principles, reflected through the running of the whole school including fund-raising.