VALLEY School reception pupils have been discovering if bottles grow on trees.

Teacher Ruth Barwise and her class, as part of their outdoor studies, had been exploring local trees and plants.

She said: "One tree had a plastic bottle lodged in it which prompted me to say "Oh look, a plastic bottle tree and there's one on the ground that's fallen off it!''

Some children were unsure, while others said bottles "definitely did not grow on trees''.

Back at school Ruth and her pupils looked for bottle trees on the internet and came across Australian author, Doug Sowerbutts, who grows genuine bottle tree plants and has written a children's story about The Bottle Tree Family.

After listening to the story Ruth's pupils then wrote letters to Doug. "They love the idea of a bottle tree coming to life,'' she said.

Ruth recently met up with Doug who was on a trip to England.

She said: "I took him a book filled with the children's stories and photos which blew him away. I also played him a recording of the children singing the song they made up called 'If I were a bottle tree.'

"We have plans to continue to work together next year and he will continue to answer any questions the children might have.

"For my part this has been a wonderful experience of how children can become interested and motivated by the simplest of things.''