A SPECIAL NEEDS school has raised thousands to help its major expansion plans at a charity golf day.

Nearly £5,000 was raised for Joseph Clarke School in Vincent Road, Highams Park, on Thursday (July 14) at the West Essex Golf Club in Chingford.

Joseph Clarke School specialises in teaching the visually impaired and pupils with complex needs and is part of the Whitefield Academy Trust, which specialises in educating students with learning difficulties.

The school is planning to grow its numbers from 97 pupils, as of January 2015, to 140 by late 2016 following major expansion works.

To help the influx of schoolchildren the money, raised by businesses in the area and Friends of The Trust, is going towards buying a braille computer.

The Braille Notetaker has a full-size braille keyboard allowing pupils to type emails and documents in braille and print them off.

Dave Brown won the individual competition and The Texas Scramble was won by a group entered by Matchroom Sport in Brentwood, Essex.

The longest drive and nearest to the pin winners were Daniel Bees and Pete Whalley.

If anyone wishes to play in next year’s golf day visit the Whitefield Academy Trust website.