The Duchess of Cambridge spent the morning building a shelter and cooking on a camp fire last Sunday when she joined King Solomon Academy pupils on a camping trip in Kent.

The academy, which is based in Church Street, took its primary school children on the Expanding Horizons programme which aims to give inner-city youngsters the chance to build teamwork skills in the English countryside.

The trip marked the first residential trip away from home for the 24 eight and nine-year-old pupils involved.

During the three-day course they slept in tents and undertook a number of exercises including rope challenges, obstacle courses and a survival challenge.

The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry supports education charity ARK, which runs both the school and the Expanding Horizons programme.

King Solomon headteacher Venessa Willms said: “This was a wonderful way of boosting the children’s learning.

“They really learnt to try things that involved overcoming anxieties and really learning to work as a team and persevere with their tasks.

“The royal visitor was an added bonus – and a huge surprise – but one they took in their stride.

“The Duchess said they asked some challenging questions and all the pupils were delighted that she’d taken the time to come and meet them all.”