Pupils set to work on masterpieces with a message at an arts and crafts afternoon.

Powers Hall Academy in Spa Road, Witham, open its doors to hundreds of parents on Thursday who helped pupils get creative.

The 280 children set to work in their house groups - Patel, Titchmarsh and Strachen - which represent the school motto Proud To Succeed.

Each house created a poster to represent four qualities needed to be a good learner - reflectiveness, resourcefulness, reciprocity and resilience.

Pupils used cotton wool to make a resilient guide dog, photos of themselves to create a reflective human head, fingerprints to make a resourceful squirrel and tissue paper to shape a reciprocal dolphin.

Head Jane Bass said both pupils and parents enjoyed the afternoon.

She said: "The parents love coming in and spending time with children and it is always lovely seeing the children working in different age groups."