Children who are used to living in safety and comfort have raised hundreds of pounds to help young people whose lives have been turned upside down by conflict.

Pupils at St Margaret’s Preparatory School in Calne learnt about how children of a similar age have been affected by the war in Syria. On May 13 they were asked to bring in coins to support Unicef’s Day for Change, and the collection, in excess of £350, will now be doubled by the government.

St Margaret’s is working towards full recognition as a Unicef UK Rights Respecting School, showing it has fully embedded children’s rights into its ethos and culture.

Head of English, Laura Gordon, who is the school’s Rights Respecting School Co-ordinator, said: ‘We used this as an opportunity to teach pupils, in an age appropriate way, about how the conflict in Syria has turned children’s worlds upside down.’

She also wrote to parents to ask them to back the appeal and said that just £8 would supply high-energy food for a malnourished child for one week, while £26 would pay for a winter clothing kit for a child. £100 will pay for support for three children who have suffered the distress of war.