A GROUP of children leaving a Newport primary school this term have received awards for their bravery in the face of illness and adversity.

Around 60 pupils from Malpas Church Junior School's Year 6 class formed a conga line as they left school for the final time yesterday, including 10-year-old Megan Tuck and her classmate Ben Gaylard, who have both had different forms of leukaemia.

Despite a few end-of-term tears, the class danced their way down to the Usk Vale pub where Megan, Ben, and classmate Louis Hughes received awards in the form of golden 'gnomes', before all the children enjoyed a party.

As previously reported in the Argus, Megan was diagnosed with myeloid leukaemia in 2008 but has now been free of the disease for five years, said her godmother Rachael Powell, who has helped raise thousands of pounds for the leukaemia charity LATCH.

"It was an awful time for all the family and friends," said Mrs Powell, who went to Malpas Church Junior School with Megan's mum Emma 34 years ago.

"Her parents spent six months in hospital with her, just after Emma had given birth to twin girls. We are all just so proud of Megan and how she has coped with it, it's blown us away.

"All her friends have been impressed with her courage, she's a little darling."

Fellow pupil Ben Gaylard had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, she said, and now both Megan and Ben will receive a bravery and a 'jolly kid' award, in the form of a golden gnome, while Louis will be given an award for being an all-round great pupil.

Other children in the year group have had kidney problems and suffered from pneumonia as well, said one of the organisers of the awards, Nina Price, whose daughter Katie, 11, is also in Year 6.

"My daughter wanted a small party in the back garden for her friends, starting with 12 children, then it went to 30 children, then 60," said Mrs Price, 35, from Malpas.

"My house isn't big enough so we organised a get-together for the children and to give the mums a chance to catch up.

"Over the seven years they have all helped each other out so it's been a lovely year group. I thought this would be a nice gesture."

The junior children are destined to go to Newport High School, St Julian's School or Caerleon Comprehensive in September.