A VILLAGE primary school has joined the nation's elite by winning an award for its arts work.

Bowes Hutchinson CE Aided School, near Barnard Castle, has been awarded the Artsmark Silver Award for enriching its curriculum with a diverse range of music, art and drama.

The school was one of the first in the country to be awarded the Artsmark three years ago, but news that it has received the higher level award was an extra boost.

The three full-time teaching staff aim to enrich the education of the 47 pupils by teaching many to play the recorder and violin, holding drama and dance lessons, and holding an arts week for children to visit galleries and museums.

The school also works with professional artists and on community arts projects that can be seen around the school grounds, in the form of murals, wall displays and sculptures.

Arts co-ordinator Susan Scaife will take pupils from the school to a national awards celebration next month to collect the award.

She said: "We believe in offering the children a rich and exciting curriculum which includes learning through the arts."