Shepton Mallet school is set to give its outdoor classroom a major glow-up – thanks to the team at Dobbies.

St Paul's Church of England VC Junior School has been chosen for a full green makeover as part of the Dobbies Community Gardens scheme, beating out hundreds of other applicants from across the UK.

The school is now working with the Dobbies store on Fosse Lane to transform its environmental area, pond, wellbeing garden and veg plots into a thriving outdoor learning space.

The aim? To teach pupils how to grow food, understand plant life cycles and cook what they harvest – all while reconnecting with nature.

Dobbies will provide everything from compost and seeds to tools and plants, with staff on hand to guide the school through the entire transformation. The garden will also be open to the wider community, with surplus produce shared locally and the site doubling up as a hub for sustainability and outdoor education.

More than 600 schools, care homes and community groups applied when the scheme opened back in March. Each store chose just one project – and Shepton's Dobbies team picked St Paul's.

Mark Shergold, general manager of the Shepton Mallet store, said: We're committed to supporting our local community and helping as many people as possible experience the benefits of garden living.

Congratulations to St Paul's – we're excited to see their space flourish."

The project kicks off with a tailored session at the Shepton Mallet Dobbies store, led by the in-house Green Team, who'll provide ongoing support and volunteer hours to help keep the garden blooming for years to come.

From muddy boots to homegrown veg, St Paul's pupils will now get their hands dirty in the best way possible – and learn some real-life lessons along the way.