A HAMPSHIRE school for children with learning difficulties is celebrating after it was given a new wheelchair-accessible minibus.

Representatives of the Lord’s Taverners and Lady Taverners presented Shepherd's Down School with the 16-seat vehicle on Monday (June 1).

It cost more than £48,000 and is essential for the students, who have complex needs.

The school, in Compton, helps its pupils become functionally communicative, literate and as numerate as possible while meeting their educational, physical, medical and sensory needs..

Deputy headteacher Hilary Grimble said: "We are very grateful. We have three buses now and they are all out on the road nearly every day.

"We take our children out and about all of the time. We have a lot of children who find the outside world quite challenging so we do trips to cafes and supermarkets to get them used to it.

"We do a lot of outdoor learning giving them hands-on experience."

The Lord's Taverners is a youth cricket and disability sports charity, which will donate over £3 million this year to help disadvantaged and disabled young people.

Paul Robin, chief executive, said: “The Lord's Taverners believes that sport and recreation are essential for all young people, regardless of ability or background. This minibus will help the Shepherd's Down pupils to get out and enjoy new places and experiences in Winchester and beyond.

"We are proud to support the staff, parents and young people of Shepherd's Down School.”