A PENDLE Primary School has been awarded a prestigious arts award by the Arts Council of England.

St John's C of E Primary School, in Higham, has been awarded the Artsmark Silver award, which recognises schools encouraging high standards in art education.

It rewards excellence, endorses good practice and demonstrates that the school is concerned not only with academic success, but with the wider development of young people.

The school showed the judges a high standard of teaching in all the creative arts including music, dance and art itself.

Gordon Prentice, Pendle MP, said: "St John's have proved that it is possible to combine both academic and arts subjects successfully together."