Barking special school pupils have pumpkin fun thanks to supermarket donation

Pupils at a Barking special school have been getting into the Halloween spirit thanks to a donation from a supermarket.

Staff at the Chadwell Heath branch of Asda gave 25 pumpkins, as well as 10 carving kits and push pin sets, to Riverside Bridge School.

Although the pandemic meant usual activities of trick or treating and the school carnival had to be cancelled, the donation allowed pupils to enjoy some autumn-themed fun.

Laura Smith, the school’s organisational lead and wellbeing co-ordinator, expressed her gratitude to Asda and said: “As many of our pupils have sensory needs, the inside of pumpkins were a great resource for some fun messy sensory play.

“One of our classes mixed the inside of the pumpkin with cornstarch to make pumpkin oobleck, which was great fun.

“Activities such as pumpkin decorating and carving also enables us to improve pupils’ motor skills which are a vital part of our lives.”