Pupils from a Carbrooke school learned that hard work pays off after being rewarded for their outstanding performance.

The youngsters, who attend St Peter and St Paul primary school, were treated to a trip to Bury St Edmunds to see the panto version of Beauty and the Beast after achieving top marks.

The trip was paid for by family fuel company Rix Petroleum - which donated £266.59 to the school, generated from its heating oil buying syndicate in Carbrooke.

The Attleborough-based company donates a percentage of the profits from the syndicates it runs to local causes. It has previously helped community shops, churches and schools.

Hannah Wheeler, headteacher at St Peter and St Paul Carbrooke, said the donation had covered the cost of the tickets, travel to and from the performance.

She said: 'The donation came just at the right time.

'We have changed our behaviour policy and have been working on behaviour for learning. As part of this, we have decided to treat the children who try hard and achieve top marks each term.

'This term, 19 children met the gold standard every week, so as a reward we decided to take them to see the panto. The donation from Rix Petroleum covered the cost of treating the kids, so we're really grateful to them for helping us in that way.'

Rix Petroleum supplies domestic heating oil and commercial diesel to homes, farms and businesses across Norfolk, and has eight buying syndicates in the county.

Syndicates enable residents in a village to club together to buy oil in bulk to benefit from a cheaper fuel price.

Rory Beath, director of Rix Petroleum, said: 'Our oil syndicates help alleviate fuel poverty because members can save around £80 per year on their energy bills. It also helps us cut our carbon footprint because we deliver to all members on the same day, meaning our tanker journeys are reduced.

'Because we make savings, we like to invest a percentage of that back to communities as charitable donations.

'St Peter and St Paul Carbrooke does a fantastic job educating local children and is a very worthy recipient. We're delighted they were able to take the children out and give them a wonderful treat.'