PRIMARY pupils deeply affected by the deadly Grenfell Tower blaze in London enjoyed a special day out thanks to the generosity of a Dorset secondary school.

A group of 46 Year 6 pupils from Oxford Gardens Primary School enjoyed activities at Moors Valley Country Park and at the beach after accepting an invitation from Highcliffe School.

Oxford Gardens stands in the shadow of the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, where 72 people died in a terrible fire on June 14 last year.

Among them were a pupil of the school and family members of other pupils. Many of the school community were made homeless by the blaze.

Shortly after the fire, head teacher Sarah Cooper put an open letter on social media asking for help in coping with the consequences of the fire.

The letter was answered by Patrick Earnshaw, head of Highcliffe School in Parkside.

He told the Daily Echo: "We took members of our school council to Oxford Gardens and started to put together an offer of an activity day.

"We have been raising money to pay for the event and we have had a lot of support from local and national companies."

Mr Earnshaw said food and drink has been donated, as well as transport to and from Dorset.

"Pupils and parents have also been wonderful, even buying buckets and spades for the children for the visit to the beach."

At Moors Valley children enjoyed the GoApe Tree Top Junior activity and the play trail. They also met owls and hawks

The activity day has been called Two Communities, One Heart, and Mr Earnshaw said he believes it has benefited pupils from both schools.

"It is really important that the children from Oxford Gardens know that ordinary people in other parts of the country absolutely support and sympathise with them."