A west Norfolk school has been handed an award for its dedication to supporting the educational needs of prematurely-born children.

Gayton Church of England Primary Academy has been acknowledged by the charity The Smallest Things, which supports families with children born prematurely.

While premature birth does not always result in special educational and social development needs, research shows it does mean such children are more likely to require additional support.

And the Gayton primary school has been recognised by the charity for the steps it has taken to support these pupils.

Lisa Harward Bird has two children at the school who were both born before 37 weeks and alerted staff to the charity's training.

She said: "I shared the Prem Aware School Award details and was so delighted when they contacted me to say they had completed the training and steps to achieve the award."

Jo Edwards, early years leader at the school, said: "We will use our new knowledge to support the children in our school and for their lifelong learning."

Rachael Greenhalgh, the executive headteacher, added: "Part of this award was ensuring that our staff are aware of which families are affected by this so that we can ensure the appropriate support is put in place."