There's hardly any green space at Lyndhurst Junior School, Portsmouth, so pupils have to use what they can to grow organic vegetables.

Their freshly-dug spuds are then made into tasty dinners by the school's own in-house catering service.

Concentrating on organic produce and fresh local goods seems to be working as 120 to 140 pupils now eat school meals compared with 100 this time last year.

Headteacher Margaret Griffin said: 'Healthy food covers so many aspects of our children's lives. It's life skills, especially in the current economic climate when you have to eat healthily and cheaply with sustainable, seasonal food.

'We've also been able to show the children that you can use an old wheelbarrow or tubs to grow your own food.

'It's nutritious and tackles obesity. It's also fun. Children love to cook. It's a wonderful vehicle for education.

'And crucially the children say the food is very tasty.'

Growing and cooking its own food has seen the school reduce the price of dinners from £1.60 to £1.50.

And for just £1 pupils can get a bowl of tasty soup, a wholemeal baguette and a dessert.

As well as cooking them healthy meals, the school is also educating youngsters on the subject.

Pupils will travel to Goodwood Farm, near Chichester, to learn more about food while a five-week 'cooking on a budget' after-school course for parents and children is starting tomorrow.

The school even had a visit from Jeanette Orrey whose stance on organic food helped inspire Jamie Oliver in his campaign for better school meals and his TV programme Jamie's School Dinners.

And two of the school's dinner ladies are set to get more training at Jeanette Orrey's cooking school in Essex next month.

Mrs Griffin said: 'She was delighted by the quality of the food being offered here and was able to offer us some further advice.'