PUPILS and their families braved the elements in a bid to honour the Queen's platinum jubilee.

With spades in hand, children and adults from the St John the Baptist Primary School, Pebmarsh, were able to plant 100 native tree whips.

The trees were supplied by a scheme co-ordinated by Braintree Council which forms part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Tree Canopy project.

Each child designed a label where they either named and personalised the tree, or planted it in memory of a loved one.

The ground was provided by the Nott Family Trust and aims to help the children commemorate the jubilee, understand climate change and provide a habitat for nature.

Headteacher Susie Price said: “We are fortunate Pebmarsh children have their own tree to watch grow over the years.

"We want our children to know trees breathe life into our world and it’s vital we plan for the future of woodland so we can tackle climate change.

"Seeing all our families united was heart-warming."

The trees planted were a mixture of hazel, hornbeam, spindle, dogwood and hawthorn.

As part of the scheme, the school also planted 400 spring bulbs around the grounds of the school.