Captain Jack Sparrow would be proud of them, me hearties.

They are the Pirates of the Grove School in Dereham rather than the Caribbean but they certainly looked the part as they took part in a special activity day and played on their new ship.

The pirate vessel has been built in the school playground and has been a massive hit with the 100 three-seven year-olds.

And yesterday it got even more use than normal as the youngsters and staff donned an array of eye patches, skull and cross bone headwear and Sparrow waistcoats - and of course waved their cutlasses proudly in the air.

Headteacher Maureen Vaissiere said: 'We got commended in our Ofsted report for staff working to create a fun environment.'

She said the school council was given the job of coming up with fun ideas for equipment for the playground.

And as Mrs Vaissiere looked at the children having a great time on the ship - which has a slide and climbing wall and bridge - she said: 'And this is what they came up with! It is very popular.'

Sky Murray, seven, said: 'it's fun! I love going down the slide and we spend lots of time on the ship.'

Fellow year two pupil Bryony Williams, seven, said: 'I like the slide and pirate flag. When I first saw the pirate ship I said 'wow'!'

'It is cool,' was seven-year-old Caitlyn Hunt's verdict, while Henrique Gomes Alves, six, was clearly having fun and his imagination was in full flow: 'We can go down the slide and we can hide from the other people who are trying to shoot us.'

The ship was built by Norfolk Games and Frames and Mrs Vaissiere said of company owner John Reeder: 'He was absolutely brilliant.'