A SPECIAL school in Blackbird Leys has been gifted with £1,000 from a developer.

Persimmon Homes Wessex awarded the sum to Mabel Prichard School as part of its Building Futures community fund.

Groups can apply for a piece of the housebuilder's £1m pot if they work with under-18s in sport, education, arts or health.

Amanda Makoka, deputy head at Mabel Prichard, said the school will use the money to provide music therapy sessions for pupils.

She said: "Interventions such as music therapy provide pupils with an outlet for their emotions. For the majority of the children, communication is difficult, and being able to explore new activities helps engage children in their learning."

The school teaches 100 pupils between the ages of two and 19, with a wide range of needs including cerebral palsy, autism and profound learning difficulties.