Hartlepool primary school is on the road after being given a new minibus thanks to charity

Rossmere Primary School in Hartlepool caters for children aged 2-11 years old, many of who have additional needs including: ASD, learning disabilities and difficulties and social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

The school had no minibus provision of its own, limiting the opportunities for students to explore the world and acquire life skills outside their immediate environment.

But the new Sunshine Coach will be essential in expanding their horizons to transport the children to the local community where they can advance social skills already learned within the school environment and increase their self-esteem and confidence.

The Variety Sunshine Coach was donated by baby equipment retailer Joie Baby, in partnership with Variety, the Children’s Charity.

In this time, the Variety Sunshine Coach scheme has helped to improve the lives of almost one million disabled and disadvantaged children and their families.

Headteacher Caroline Reed said: “Since our Sunshine Coach arrived it has been used to take children on trips to a local woodland park and to Tesco to learn life skills doing their shopping.

“We have also used it to transport children to many sporting events where we only take a small number of children this enables all of our children to access sport and physical activity, where before we would only have taken part in events that we could walk to.

“Children love our yellow Sunshine Coach, it is spotted in the local community with happy children excited to be on an outing!”