STEVEN Uttley and Richard Attenborough are helping to measure out a piece of wood to construct a bird table.
"This is what we're doing," says Richard, pointing to a pencilled sketch.
It is decades since the two were pupils, but now they're back at school as volunteers.
The men, who have learning disabilities, are part of a gardening group who maintain the grounds of Oak Field School and Sports College in Bilborough.
It's a place where they feel at ease, as all the pupils have either severe learning or physical disabilities, or both.
Of the school's 20 adult volunteers, half have learning difficulties.
And nearly all of those are former pupils of the Shepherd School, which merged with Aspley Wood to create Oak Field.
Richard, 42, said: "I make garden furniture and bird tables and look after the allotment."
One day a week Richard also goes round the classrooms and offices to sort out bottles, cans and paper for recycling.
Steven, 34, used to go to Carlton Digby special school in Mapperley. He now goes to Oak Field one day a week.
"It's good here. I like gardening and being with the other people," said Steven, who belongs to the Glenwood Growers, a workers' co-operative which also tends to the grounds at College Street Arts Centre.
Abi Taylor, 39, is another Shepherd "old girl" to descend on Oak Field as a volunteer.
As well as helping the gardening group by planting trees, Abi spends Friday mornings in the school office and the afternoons helping the early years class.
"I fold letters and put them in envelopes in the office and make arts and crafts with the early years," she said.
"I like it here a lot and I like the people."
One of the newest recruits to the classroom is Stephen Green, who turned 46 on Tuesday. A member of the gardening group, Stephen has now joined the music department as a volunteer on Thursdays.
He has a particular interest in music since starting piano lessons just before his 40th birthday.
During his first classroom session, he played Love Me Tender, Bridge Over Troubled Water and Amazing Grace.
"The kids liked it," said Stephen, who has Down's syndrome.
"I was quite excited but not nervous. I knew a few of the pupils and was looking forward to meeting the others."
Requests for voluntary placements for special needs adults have gone up, said head teacher David Stewart, perhaps as a result of the cuts and reorganisation of day centres.
"We have had more requests, which is probably not unexpected given the changes to provision in adult services," said Mr Stewart.
"We have people volunteering in school in their 30s and 40s. They are a good role model to other students and it's that importance of feeling valued."
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