Westfield Arts College Queen's Green Canopy planting project

Each student planted a tree on land at Whitcombe owned by Ms Walters alongside a plaque with their names on.

The plan is to convert one of the Whitcombe estate's paddocks into a Jubilee woodland for the Queen's Green Canopy scheme - a unique tree planting initiative for the jubilee - with a plan for the upkeep and care of the woodland for several years that pupils and their families can visit.

The Woodland Trust donated 220 trees of different variates, including oak and willow, whilst the college itself bought 15 fruit trees.

Minnette Walters, who owns the Whitcombe estate, said: "It's been a joy to work with Westfield Arts College on this fabulous, long-term project.

"The Queen asked us to plant trees to celebrate her 70 years on the throne and she could not have asked for more engaged or engaging people to do it than Westfield's wonderful students.

"Between them all, they've created the beginnings of a Green Canopy, and I and they are looking forward to watching our forest grow over the years to come."

The sixth form students have been doing gardening work experience at Whitcombe every Thursday with the estate's gardener Ricky Thompson.

Westfield is a special needs school on Littlemoor Road, Weymouth, which has 215 students between the ages of 4-19 with moderate to complex learning difficulties.

Headteacher Sean Kretz said: "It was a great sensory activity for the students and the staff to get on the land and planting the tree.

"Especially from where we have been with the pandemic, it is so good to be out in nature, for all our students and our staff, for such a great reason and to commemorate such a great event.

"It has just been a fantastic project and opportunity to celebrate the platinum jubilee, and a great excuse to get outdoors into nature and all the benefits that that provides, and to make something lasting.

"It has been a lovely thing to be involved in."