IT wouldn’t look out of place in a professional gallery space. But the masterwork, a map depicting Elland, is the handiwork of an entire school.

All of Elland C of E Junior and Infant School’s 120 pupils helped to create the stunning portrait of their town, which is made entirely of clay.

Each pupil helped make a piece of the huge work of art, which depicts landmarks of the town, including the school and the much-loved Rex cinema. The pieces were then slotted together to create the work of art.

The children worked on the project with local artist Marguaritta Owen, who has worked with a number of schools in the area.

Richard Sutcliffe, the school’s administration assistant, said: “The children had a great time working with the artist. They got to contribute by helping make the pieces and putting them into the jigsaw.

“It shows a lot of landmarks that local people will be familiar with, such as the main square in Elland by the Cenotaph, which is where a lot of people like to go.

“It took a lot of clay and effort to make it; the artist was with us for three weeks at least, working with all the children throughout the school day.

“It looks very professional and the children really enjoyed creating it.”

The work of art now takes permanent pride of place near the entrance of the school, where the Mayor of Calderdale, Clr Martin Peel, unveiled it in front of pupils and staff.

Mr Sutcliffe added: “We have it in the hallway and it’s the first thing you see as you go into the main hall. Everyone who comes into the school has to walk past it and it looks fantastic.

“It fired a lot of the children’s imaginations and it’s shown what you can do when you put your mind to it.

“I don’t think we realised quite how well it would turn out. It’s been a huge success and everyone is very proud of it.”