A group of students with autism had the flight of their life last week as they took to the sky in a light aircraft.

The team of 11 from LVS Oxford saw Oxfordshire from a different view thanks to aviation charity Fly2Help based at Cotswolds airport in Cirencester.

The experience gave the students the opportunity to overcome anxiety often associated with autism.

The students were flown across the Cotswolds, Cheltenham, Stratford-on-Avon, Oxford and their school to see the county from a different perspective.

Dan Boorman, 12, said:"I thought the day was really really terrifyingly great."

Emma Farley, 13, originally intended to only watch her friends on the plane because of her fear of flying.

However, she also took to the air after the LVS Oxford therapy team used coping methods to help her overcome her anxiety.

Speaking about her experience, Emma said: "It was really life changing for me because I managed to overcome my fear of flying so I can now travel around the world."

CEO of Fly2Help Alison Pavier said: "A trip like this can fill students with confidence, and show them what they can achieve. I am moved by seeing LVS Oxford’s students facing and overcoming their anxieties to put themselves in this situation today."

LVS Oxford is a residential school for those young people diagnosed with learning difficulties such as autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

The school helps their pupils to learn life-skills outside the classroom and how to deal with the complexities of everyday life.