A school has celebrated the generosity of its students after it raised an enormous sum for a children’s hospice.

Pupils from Hertswood Academy spent the last year organising fundraising activities, such as bake sales and a human table football competition, to raise money for the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice.

School houses of Darwin, Cavendish, Somerville and Nuffield – which are named after Oxford and Cambridge colleges – smashed last year’s record of £1,317.50 by pulling together a record total of £1,582.51 for the hospice.

House captains Jade Marle, 17, George Cook, 18, Lana Al-Nusair, 17, and Mia Thai, also 17, presented a cheque to a representative from the hospice in a presentation last week.

Jade said: “Raising money for the hospice has been good, but it also taught us about working together to achieve something good.”

Lana added: “People who didn’t ever work together before got to join in and bond. Everyone really got together in this, which was great.”

The captains, who are in their final year at the school, will continue to lead this year’s fundraising efforts before being taken over by year 12 students.

Headteacher Peter Gillet said: “I am very proud of the hard work and generosity of our staff and students in helping the school to raise this amount for such a worthwhile charity.”

After a last minute final donation, Sarah Latchford from the hospice was able to present the students with a certificate for raising a final total of £1,630.73.

Teacher Charlotte Nethercott said: “We are really proud of the amount the students have raised, they have given very generously. But next year, we’re hoping to put a two in front of the number.”