Forget art or football clubs - one Norwich primary school has launched its own beekeeping club for the third year in a row.

Magdalen Gates Primary School is running the club again this year, after being inspired by parent John White, who has kept bees for 15 years.

The club runs on Saturday mornings and combines a mixture of classroom theory and practical sessions at the hives, which are at an apiary just outside Norwich.

Mr White said: 'I saw the beekeeping club as a route for children to learn about the importance of bees and the natural world, plus they can learn the skills required to keep bees in the future.

'After working with the headteacher and successfully receiving a grant in 2015, we were able to start the beekeeping club with students from years four, five and six, and have been running it ever since.'

The grant from the Anguish's Educational Foundation, named after former Norwich mayor Thomas Anguish, allowed the school to purchase beekeeping suits and equipment for the children.

Mr White added: 'The children have had to work hard at controlling their nerves at the beehives, because it isn't normal to stand still with thousands of bees flying around you.

'Beekeeping is a great way for the children to focus on self-control and acting calmly, plus they must learn how to look after the bees as carefully as possible.'

The club will run through the summer term, and will even see the youngsters extract and produce their very own Magdalen Gates Honey, which the school hopes can be sold to raise cash for pupils' education.

A special assembly at the school is planned, where the young beekeepers will tell the rest of the school about their experiences.

Cara Fahy, headteacher, said: 'We are delighted to have the beekeeping club at the school. The students are really enthusiastic and we can't wait to produce our own school honey. If we get enough, we will sell the honey to raise money for the school.'

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