Staff and pupils are celebrating after their schools were awarded a prestigious national award for excellence in science.

Greengate Junior School and Ramsden Infant and Nursery School, both in Barrow, have received the Primary Science Quality Mark in recognition of their commitment to quality science teaching and learning.

The award is given to schools who develop science leadership, ensuring teachers have the knowledge, capability and support they need to transform science education and shape future generations.

Science leader Dawn Ditchfield, who worked with Sharon Rampton at Ramsden Infants on the joint initiative, said everyone was delighted to receive the award, which is backed by the University of Hertfordshire.

“We have worked very hard to continuously improve the science curriculum across our schools for the benefit of our pupils and instil an understanding of how science underpins so much of their daily lives. This project gave us the opportunity to come together as federated schools and look to the future of science across both sites.

“The panel said it was very impressed by the high quality of the submission, it could see our commitment to leading science and had clearly had a positive impact on teaching and learning.”

Helen Sizer, co-director of the Primary Science Quality Mark, said the award powers the potential of all children to see the relevance and importance of science in their lives, now and in the future.

“Schools that have achieved a Primary Science Quality Mark have demonstrated a significant commitment to science leadership, teaching and learning and the profile and quality of science in each accredited school is very high. Science subject leaders, their colleagues, headteachers, children, parents and governors should be very proud.”

Both schools have applied to join South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust in the next academic year.