YOUNGSTERS in Worcestershire village schools have been watching with delight as baby chicks are born into the world.

Children at Inkberrow First School and Upton Snodsbury CofE First School welcomed the new additions to the school gradually over the past few weeks as they each hatched one at a time.

In Upton Snodsbury headteacher Lorraine Barber said they were all hoping to keep some of the chicks on at the school.

"I have at present a batch of baby chicks in school that the children are highly animated about," she said. "They have been learning about life cycles and writing about them, learning to hold them safely and look after them, we may even keep some."

Down the road at Inkberrow the chicks began hatching overnight and carried on into the next day with some children watching the incubator and others seeing it live on a screen.

It has been part of a topic, down on the farm, focusing on growing and caring.

The chicks have been looked after by children in the reception class, and at weekends teacher Amy Coughlin, who organised the chicks, has been keeping an eye on them.

Headteacher Heather Thomson said: "We all have chick fever."