Children with learning disabilities celebrated a Jewish festival on Monday by planting a tree at a Friern Barnet care home.

Pupils from the Kisharon Day School braved the stormy weather to plant an apple tree in the courtyard of the Lady Sarah Cohen Home, in Asher Loftus Way, to mark Tu B’Svat, the annual celebration of new beginnings.

A minibus was provided by the Kisharon charity to take the 22 children to the event and the school's headteacher, Lillian Amdurer, said: “It was great to get the kids out of the classroom and involved in something like this.

“Not even the weather could ruin this day, we managed to plant our tree and it looked fantastic.”

Dating back to the 17th Century, Tu B’Svat is the Hebrew word for the New Year of Trees and the festival is a symbolic reference to new beginnings, as trees start to reproduce their new leaves in preparation for the summer.

Sophie Nessim, secretary at the school, said: “it’s a very healthy and relaxed festival.

It is about out with the old, in with the new; a representation of a new life and the coming of spring.”

The celebrations were topped off with songs and prayers performed by the children to the elderly residents of the home.

One enthusiastic pupil said: “I can’t wait to come back next year to see if our tree has any apples on it."

Francis Laudau, activities organiser at the Lady Sarah Cohen Home, added: “It was a lovely day and great to see the pupils from Kisharon School coming to take part in the tree planting ceremony. We thoroughly enjoyed the day”