Teacher goes the extra mile for children with special educational needs

A teacher has completed a 150 mile walk around Essex to raise money for and awareness of children with special educational needs.

Kierran Pearce, a teacher at Market Field School in Elmstead Market, trekked to all 18 special educational needs schools in the county - the equivalent of a marathon a day for five days.

It comes after Mr Pearce helped to set up the multi schools council, which invites people to share ideas about how all schools can improve education for young people.

Kierran himself was excluded from school aged 15 with no prospect of passing any exams. But he says that experience spurred him on to change the futures of others.

The walk started at Harlow Fields then covered Loughton, Chigwell, Brentwood, Basildon, Benfleet, Wickford, Billericay, Chelmsford, Witham, Braintree, Colchester, Langham and Clacton before finishing at Elmstead Market.