A Watford primary school has undergone the "transformation of a lifetime" after a team of 80 volunteers completely re-landscaped the site in just one day.

Volunteers from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) visited Laurance Haines Primary, in Vicarage Road, on Tuesday to give the school playground a much needed makeover.

The team built 13 flower beds, created a sensory trail and installed a pond - filled in by the fire brigade - in less than eight hours.

Watford Observer:

Headteacher James Roach said the teachers were "blown away" with the amount of work that has been done for them and that it would present many learning opportunities for their pupils.

He said: "It has completely transformed the look of the school. It will have such an impact on the children.

"Pupils can take visual pride in the school.

"The sensory trail is a brilliant learning resource - the beds have signs to prompt the children to ask questions. They have a bed for all the five senses, there’s lots to explore.

"It’s all so well thought out. It opens up the educational side but it also looks great.

"We really didn’t expect this many volunteers to come."

He continued that the school could not have afforded such a drastic change with their own finances.

He said: "Before it was mud, dirt and dull. Now it’s had a complete face lift. It really was once in a lifetime. Thanks so much to everyone who helped it will be such a benefit to our school."

GSK sets aside one day a year for its employees to go out and help with a community project. It is known as "orange day" because the volunteers wear orange t-shirts.

Corinne Linskell, a communications manager with GSK, organised the day.

She said: "We try and pick projects that will really make a difference and have a big impact.

Hopefully this will make a big difference for the school, kids and teachers.

"The volunteers - all 80 of them - have been here all day. We’ve dug a pond, put in a herb garden, a sensory trail and planted 13 flower beds."