A WINCHESTER school is celebrating after sharing in a £3m windfall from the Ministry of Defence.

Harestock Primary School is receiving £40,000 from the MOD’s Support for State Schools Fund which covers 139 schools nationwide.

The funding was started in 2011 and is aimed at making sure children of service personnel are not disadvantaged by moving from school to school.

Harestock was able to apply for cash because around 20 per cent of its pupils are from armed forces families and are affected by their parents’ mobility.

Jackie Sankey, headteacher of Harestock Primary school, said: “We are delighted to be awarded the funding. Some of our children have been to between 3 – 7 schools before arriving at Harestock and we already do all we can to help them settle in and reach their potential. This funding will enable us to do even more.”

The school will use the money to fund a support worker to act as a focal point for service families in the school, offering counselling and helping to integrate new pupils.