Pictured above: Enta trainee Shannon Morris with pupils Emma Hewitt,9, Jack Boswell, 9 and Harley McKenna, 9, with Enta trainee Liam Hubbard

A remarkable collaboration between primary school pupils and teenagers on a construction skills training course has created an all-new outdoor recreation area at a Birmingham school.

Working to designs and ideas submitted by pupils, trainees from Enta, Birmingham's oldest-established training organisation, have produced a range of impressive outdoor furniture for the school grounds.

Picnic benches, seats and a large gazebo were manufactured by the determined 16 to 19-year-olds in Enta's Aston workshop, before being transported to St Michael's Church of England Primary School in Bartley Green, and assembled in the grounds.

The furniture was made using thousands of pounds worth of woodwork and metalwork equipment donated to Enta from Bovis Lend Lease.

Head teacher Mrs Sam Cosgrove said the project was funded by a £3,000 grant from the Creative Partnerships programme, plus £1,000 from the school's own resources.

The money paid for a designer to visualise the children's ideas, as well as materials and labour for the Enta trainees - on the Foundation Learning programme - to implement them.

"We knew we wanted to do something outdoors, and this was the idea that the children came up with," said Mrs Cosgrove.

"As part of the project, pupils interviewed several designers before making their final decision.

"They eventually selected Chris Bishop who has long-standing connections with Enta. We were really interested to discover more about the organisation, how it operates as a Community Interest Company, and the impact it has had on the people and places of Birmingham."

She added: "Giving a group of young trainees a real-life opportunity was most rewarding and pupils, parents and staff are all really pleased with the furniture."

Since it was formed in 1977, Enta has transformed life for thousands of young people, providing training and employment support for those in hard-to-reach communities.

Chief Executive Kevin Hayes said: "This was a great opportunity for our learners to get to grips with a real project, where they have to get it right first time, as part of their training.

"It is vital that they develop their skills on projects that enable them to become well rounded trades people and I am delighted they have delivered such excellent results."

Enta, based at Mill Wharf, Aston, also runs a range of social enterprises including conferencing facilities, catering services, a canal side café and landscaping and maintenance services.