PUPILS from Chard School received a royal seal of approval this week after they were sent a letter by the Queen.

Students were thrilled when they found out they had been sent the letter from Buckingham Palace.

It arrived this week after the school ran a competition to paint a portrait of the Queen to mark the occasion of her becoming the longest reigning monarch in British history.

The three winning portraits were sent to the Queen and the children received the letter in response which informed them that the Queen was very touched to see the portraits that the children had done to mark the special occasion.