A SCHOOL that recently redesigned its playground has won a national health award.

Abbey Road Infant School, in Darlington, is one of the first in the area to be awarded a Healthy School Standard by the Department of Education and Employment.

To be eligible for the award, the school had to show that it had included healthy messages in the whole day-to-day curriculum.

As well as having a healthy eating scheme in the canteen, the school has given pupils messages about health in science, geography and English lessons.

One of the highlights of the on-going initiative is the school's new playground, which has been redesigned to make it more attractive to the youngsters and teachers.

Headteacher Elaine McCue said: "We asked the pupils what they wanted from their playground so they would be encouraged to use it and it would be a nice place to be.

"We have erected some new apparatus and new games have been painted on the tarmac.

"We are also creating a quiet area under a tree so the children can be quiet at playtime.

"It's about mental health as well. We don't want the pupils to think they have to run around all the time."

Once the national Healthy School Standard was launched, the teachers at Abbey Road decided to include more health issues in their work.

Mrs McCue said: "It's all been about creating a health ethos in the whole school, not just PE.

"We already had a lot of healthy initiatives in the school, so it was just a case of bringing them all together.

"We have a walking train and the playground development was already under consideration. Once we registered our interest in the award, it was up to us to show we should get it.

"We are really pleased with the result, and are determined to continue being a healthy school for our pupils - both physically and mentally."