A Hampshire school for children with special needs has been awarded more than £3,000 thanks to the owners of the Daily Echo.

The Cedar School in Nursling, Southampton, provides education for 80 students and has been running for 43 years.

Now, it has been awarded £3,200 for new gardening equipment and facilities as it seeks to take the classroom outside for its students.

The money comes courtesy of the Gannett Foundation, the charitable leg of the parent company of Newsquest, who own the Daily Echo.

The foundation has donated more than £10,000 to good causes around the county, with Testlands Support Hub in Lordshill gaining £4,410 and the 23rd Itchen North Scouts receiving £2,960.

The Cedar School has been running since 1974 and has 80 students between the ages of three and 16.

Jonathan Howells has been head teacher at the school for 12 years. He said: “We want to take English, maths and science outside so our students can enjoy the fresh air.

"It helps them to understand more practically what they’re learning in a classroom.

“We’ve applied for the funds to help us get some new equipment including a polytunnel, new gardening tools and a shed to keep them in.

"We want to take the fruit and vegetables that we grow in the garden inside to cook with in our kitchen and independence room.”

The project is part of the school’s larger plan to be acknowledged as a forest school by the Forest School Association.

Rebecca Farwell is the school’s forest school lead and has been training as part of the qualification since September, having worked at the school for 11 years.

Rebecca said: “I’m in training to help us be certified as a forest school as part of our school improvement plan.

"We’re part of the eco-school programme, who help raise environmental awareness and improve the school.

“We also have our green gang committee, made up of 12 students who help us with our eco-school projects. Without this grant, we simply wouldn’t be able to fund our gardening ambitions here.”

Jonathan believes the students also show a keen interest in the outdoors, even though they may not fully be able to understand its global importance.

The students’ chosen charity this year is the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

Jonathan said: “The students do enjoy being outside and it’s not always easy for them to do so outside of school. We’re very grateful for the grant.”