Last updated 06:44, Sunday, 16 November 2008

A FURNESS school has achieved a national award for its excellent practice.

Pennington CE Primary School has received the Leading Aspect Award.

The award was developed to recognise, celebrate and share leading practice in education. It is endorsed by the Department of Children, Schools and Families and Ofsted.

The village school was acknowledged for its creative approach to teaching by using lots of local expertise to enrich its creative curriculum.

The school has been developing a creative curriculum for many years. This has been achieved through its work with local artists, theatre groups, creative projects, people in the community and working with other schools.

Two drama specialists work with the pupils every Wednesday morning. Staff have also completed placements in industry to enhance the curriculum by having a better knowledge and experience of life outside school.

Pennington headteacher Jeni Boothman said: “It’s a superb award. It values what we are doing.”

Mrs Boothman has trained to be a Leading Aspect Award assessor.

Pennington School was judged as outstanding in all areas by Ofsted in 2006.

In 2002 Pennington became a Beacon School and received funding for outreach work. The Lakeside Consortium was set up with 11 schools of a similar size.

The consortium evaluated the impact of artists-in-residence on the quality of teaching and learning and the impact on standards, especially in literacy and numeracy.

Mrs Boothman said: “It had a tremendous impact on the children. It brought in the expertise and material we did not have.”

Pennington was one of four schools in Cumbria to achieve the award. The other schools were Arnside National CE School, also a Lakeside Consortium school, St Michael's Nursery and Infant School, Workington, and Langwathby CE School, Penrith.

John Swainston, head of service for schools and learning, at Cumbria County Council, said: “I am delighted that the good practice in these schools has been highlighted by the Leading Aspect Award. There is such a variety of good work being carried out with children across Cumbria and it is great that this is being recognised nationally.”