SCHOOLCHILDREN who won a free revamp in courtesy of the Oxford Mail and Leadbitter, are busy exploring their “posh” new nature and bird hide after its grand unveiling.

We launched the School Build Save Our Schools competition to offer one lucky school a £7,500 building project, in conjunction with Abingdon-based construction company Leadbitter.

Primary schools from across the county were invited to enter, with 10 finalists competing for the work by collecting as many SOS vouchers printed in the Oxford Mail as they could to secure the prize.

North Kidlington School stormed the leader board by collecting a mammoth 19,300 vouchers, and work began on a bird hide in the school’s wild garden at the beginning of the holidays.

Now, eight weeks later, headteacher Ann Battersby, said the children were “thrilled to bits” that their new outside learning area had been completed.

She added: “It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s very posh.

“It’s bigger and better than we could have imagined or had hoped for. It will also enable us to extend activities for outdoor learning.

“We are going to be able to observe all sorts of birds and wildlife.”

She added: “Working with Leadbitter has been an absolute pleasure.”

Among the children enjoying the new hide were nine year old James Lenhardt, Kelsey Olden, eight, and Harriet Gardner, and Sam Wheeler, both seven.

Richard Nixon, regional director of Leadbitter, said the project had provided the company with a chance to give something back to the community.

He added: “We’re delightedthe North Kidlington pupils arepleased with the project.

“It’s great to have such a satisfied customer. The hide does look superb. The team really went the extra mile.

“The school has been a pleasure to work with.”

Work at Eynsham School is also nearing completion.

The school had been neck-and-neck with North Kidlington the whole way through the competition, at one point nudging into first place, so Leadbitter decided to award a special runners-up prize.

The company is revamping the school’s swimming pool.