Staff and pupils at Wellfield Community School and Wingate Juniors are teaming up to turn a derelict piece of land between their schools into a community garden to mark the Queen's golden jubilee.

The schools said yesterday that the garden also offered the widest possible range of learning opportunities to people in their communities.

Norman Urwin, a teacher at Wellfield School, which is also the East Durham Resource Base for pupils with physical difficulties, said: "By working on the community garden, pupils and adult learners can gain accreditation for their work and also serve their community.

"As 2002 is the Queen's Golden Jubilee Year we also want to develop the theme and dedicate the garden to this event."