MENTAL health services at a Newton Abbot primary school have received a £5,000 boost to help its efforts to look after pupils.

Highweek Community Primary and Nursery School already works to improve children’s mental health but the cash from Tesco will help expand its provision.

Indoor and outdoor activities are organised and geared towards helping therapists work with children and families with significant needs.

To expand this service, the school applied to Tesco’s Stronger Starts scheme, which awards funds to charities and community organisations that make a positive difference in the lives of children and young people.

The school’s application was successful, earning it the £5,000 grant, and school administration manager Tracy Lowe said the money will go towards giving young people and their families further support.

The grant comes after the school was praised by Ofsted for this work, with the report saying that ‘pupils gain leadership skills by taking on roles such as mental health advocates, supporting other pupils in the playground and around the school’

And inspectors said: ‘Pupils say that the school really cares about mental health.’

Tracy added: ‘We are very grateful to Tesco for this funding. At Highweek we are seeing a dramatic increase in mental health with our pupils and families.

‘We work very closely with the mental health support team to provide therapy and intervention for individuals and small groups.

‘Our school funds therapists to work with children and families with significant needs through outdoor leaning.

‘With the Tesco funding we can support more families within our community who would benefit from this sort of outdoor learning.

‘We are constantly needing funds to improve our forest school, our vegetable-growing area and our sensory room. In addition, we are also needing to create a quiet low-stimulating sensory space to support children’s regulations.’

Tesco Stronger Starts appeal invites customers to use their blue tokens to vote for local schemes they feel will benefit children and young people.