STUDENTS from Devizes School spent much of their summer helping to repair a classroom and creating paper from elephant dung.

The 16 teenagers and two teachers spent a month in Tanzania and Kenya for a mix of community projects, cultural experiences and taking part in a mountain trek. Expedition leader Matthew Wheeler said: "The most significant project was helping to refurbish a classroom and create a veranda.

"This task involved the students digging foundations by hand, breaking up the remains of the original floor to then mix and lay cement as the new flooring.

"During this hard work the students interacted with the local young people including a very intense game of football in the African heat. The students also got involved with de-worming goats, making elephant dung paper, desk making and elephant deterrence."

The students also spent time experiencing the African culture. Mr Wheeler said: "This came in many forms the first being immersed in each country and its surroundings, eating traditional foods prepared by chefs from the local community, coping with a huge variety of beasties some which were the 'size of rhinos' according to the students. They also went on two safaris and visited a Masai tribe."

The school is now looking ahead to a trip to Peru in 2018 and is holding a meeting for parents and students on October 5 at 6.30pm for those interested.