Chickens jumping through hoops are soothing students lining up for their exams.

A state-of-the art chicken coop, complete with a gym, is the latest addition to Surbiton High School. Kavita Patel, head of biology, claims watching the chickens is calming for the students.

The school welcomed ten eggs as part of an Easter project. Nine of them hatched live on webcam to the delight of students, and the three females were kept on the site.

Kavita Patel, head of biology, said: “Having the chickens outside it is about having live animals, and getting everybody to see them every day.

"The students can see them at breaks and lining up for exams. They are calming, they are good for the exam period.”

Mrs Patel added: “We even got a chicken gym, a hoop and a hurdle.”

They were named Dipsy, Hettie and Yolko.

The school will keep them until the end of term, when they will move into their new home with one of the other teachers.