Strange things have been going on at the Raikes Centre pupil referral unit in Kingsholm, Gloucester.

Kate Farminer, who set up unit, recently decided to adopt four hens as part of the students’ personal development programme.

Little Lil gained her name because she was far smaller than the others: Auntie Madge, Edie and Doreen.

When the pupils found an egg nearly twice the normal size, they could not believe the tiny Columbian blacktail cross hen had laid it.

An average egg is 6-7cm long and weighs about 60g, but Little Lil’s gargantuan egg measured about 11cm and tipped the scales at 200g.

Although this is an impressive achievement, Little Lil is still a way off the world record.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, a black Minorca hen set the record in 1896, laying an egg weighing nearly 12oz (340g).

Little Lil has laid four elephantine eggs, as well as standard size ones. When the class opened one for inspection, they found an entire normal egg inside. Mrs Farminer likened it to “a set of Russian dolls”.

At one point the pupils thought there might be a dinosaur inside, but their hopes were dashed.