Students showcased their favourite projects at an event celebrating four schools jointly winning specialist science status.

Invited guests from community groups and businesses went to the open science morning to see the youngsters at work at John Cleveland College, Hinckley.

The college put on the event for its own students and those of its feeder high schools – Mount Grace, Redmoor and St Martin's – to mark the successful joint bid to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.

The schools will have more than £1m extra to spend between them during the three years the award lasts, with the amount divided according to the number of students in each school.

Money can be spent on things such as advanced skills teachers, equipment and events.

The college has had specialist status for five years but had to put in a bid to retain it.

Zoe Smallwood, 17, of Dadlington, who hopes to study chemistry at university, said: "The science status has provided us with great opportunities and hopefully this joint venture will inspire even more students to get involved in science."