A BASINGSTOKE school is set to receive a £5,000 garden makeover after winning a competition run in The Gazette.

The Gazette teamed up with groundworks contractor Tithegrove to offer readers the chance to win a major outdoor refurbishment.

The competition came as Tithegrove expands its work into Hampshire, with new offices set up in Winchester.

After much deliberation over the entries, the judging panel from Tithegrove decided that Coppice Spring School should be named the overall winner.

The school is a specialist secondary school in Basingstoke for students with complex social and emotional needs.

Jo Perry, chief executive of Delta Education Trust, which sponsors the school, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Coppice Spring Special School has been selected to receive an award from Tithegrove Ltd.

“The award will be used to fund a complete makeover of an internal courtyard space to provide a sensory garden for our students.

“This will make an amazing difference to the experience of these vulnerable young people.”

Matthew McLoughlin-Parker, head teacher at Coppice Spring School, said: “Tithegrove clearly cares and contributes to charity and community projects.

“It’s fantastic that Tithegrove has selected to support our project to create a sensory garden. When I met with the Tithegrove team they understood the challenges that our students face and the massive impact that the work will have.

“The sensory garden will be used to deliver lessons and also serve as a place of calm for some of our anxious young people.”

Greg Tucker, regional director of Tithegrove, said: “It was a very difficult decision for our judges as there were some very strong nominations. Coppice Spring School is a worthy winner of the competition and our team are excited about helping.”