PUPILS at the Priory School served up haute cuisine with a Chinese twist at a special evening.

Guests including Mayor Christchurch Mayor Fred Neale enjoyed a tasty variety of oriental food including crispy duck and sweet and sour to chicken to raise funds.

Parents and governors also attended at the school's 'restaurant', all served by pupils from years five and six.

They were helped in preparing the food for Chinese night by chefs from the Captains Club.

It was the third of four events in the week of the Big Idea at the school - opening a restaurant for a week - to raise funds. Pupils also served up an afternoon tea on another day.

The event was broadcast on Priory Radio by the youngsters.

Headteacher Claire King said: "It was World Food Week and we came up with the idea of a week of events involving every single pupils in the school. We are a school in licensed deficit - we don't have any spare money so we have to be creative."

So they set up a restaurant and investigated everything from profit and loss, food preparation, risk assessment and hospitality. It was learning fanatic learning experience and they have really bought to life. They can see the relevance. We are trying to raise £500 for each class to buy one cooking station for each of the school's seven classes.

All the children had been to the Captain's Club to find all about it cooking, marketing, laying up and serving, health and safety - in fact all elements of hospitality and the business. Pupils also worked with Splinters and Ronny's Cafe.

"They were really incredible," said finance manager, Christine Goodall. "It was a real pleasure for us to work with them."

Head Boy, Finn Wright - Stephens said: "It has all gone very well. Every single pupil has helped. It's been a proper live experience and we have learned a lot about running a restaurant."

Ms King added: "It has been a fantastic event. More children are enthusiastic about cooking and hospitality in particular. More children understand how much it costs to make a cake and can estimate roughly how much profit the local cafes are making when they go out with their parents for cake. And more children understand the value of money and how much it costs to create a three course meal!"