CITY schoolchildren are getting their hands dirty in a bid to grow their own food.

Pupils from Ladysmith Infant School, in Heavitree, Exeter are taking part in an after-school gardening club to grow their own vegetables and trees.

The school has been chosen by the new Lottery-funded Food for Life Partnership to become one of 180 flagship schools and communities in England which will be recognised as national leaders on food quality and food education.

The five-year national initiative is led by the Soil Association with the Focus on Food campaign, Garden Organic and the Health Education Trust.

The scheme at Ladysmith Infant School is being run by teacher Tom Brown, 58, who has been at the school for eight and a half years.

"I have always been interested in gardening," he said. "Plus vegetable growing is part of school science curriculum so the gardening club is a great way for the children to get involved and experience gardening first-hand."

The school has been allocated a special garden area with soil beds and grass.

Mr Brown said: "All of this is a great way for children to learn about food, where it comes from and its impact on our health and the health of the planet.

"We would like to put more fresh, local and organic food on the lunch menu and ideally one day produce enough to feed the 800 pupils of both the Ladysmith infant and junior schools.

"We would like to give children and their parents the chance to grow food and cook together, and to visit local farms."

There will also be cooking workshops when the Food For Life cooking bus comes to visit.

Ladysmith Infant School is aiming for a Food for Life Partnership gold mark accreditation. This is obtained by working through a series of standards, for example ensuring eggs come from cage-free hens.

Individual progress of the school can be tracked on the Food For Life website on the In Your Region section.

The school is well on the way to achieving bronze and silver status by offering school dinner menus that use seasonal produce and using produce from the garden at least once a term.

Food For Life communications manager Rikke Bruntse-Dahl said: "We want schools to have the whole package of growing the food, visiting farms and using local and organic produce in school dinners.

"The motivation of the initiative is to change the food culture in this country. We want to change the way people think about food and to value it more.

"Hopefully, these ideas will extend beyond the school to parents of children and to the local community."

Other local schools taking part in the Food For Life partnership include Brampford Speke C of E Primary School, Clyst Vale Community College, Kenn C of E Primary School, Newton St Cyres Primary School, Southbrook College, St Michael's C of E Primary School, St Sidwell's C of E Primary School, West Exe Technology College, Whipton Barton Junior School, all in Exeter, Bolham Community Primary School and St John's Catholic Primary School, both in Tiverton, and Mill Water, Honiton. Details: 0117 314 5180 or visit www.foodforlife.org.uk.