A SMALL West Devon primary school has won a national award in recognition of the way it promotes good health for its pupils.

Northlew and Ashbury Primary has been accredited as a ?Healthy School?, as part of a national initiative which has been backed by Devon County Council.

Part of the school?s success is down to fruit. The School Council, made up of pupils of all ages, demonstrated its commitment to healthy eating, when it agreed that only fruit could be sold at break-time on Mondays and Fridays.

Headteacher Nicola Lampe said: ?Naturally we are very pleased to have gained this award.

?There is, rightly, a great deal of emphasis in schools on striving for ever higher standards in core subjects like English, maths and science.

?But schools also have a duty to ensure the curriculum stays balanced and children also get an education in life skills, so they become happy, healthy and well-adjusted adults.?

Staff and pupils at the village primary had to go through a rigorous series of procedures before they were accredited under the Healthy Schools Programme.

These included developing a portfolio of work, sharing an aspect of that work with other schools and having it externally inspected.

The Health Schools Programme looks at all aspects of health and covers a range of specific themes which are included in the personal, social and health education (PHSE) curriculum.

These include health and well-being, safety, healthy eating, sex and relationships education, citizenship and drugs education as well as physical activity.

The school has been recognised for the work it does at the foundation level of the PHSE curriculum.

Staff are intending to bid for recognition in specific curriculum areas in the future.

Devon County Council?s adviser for personal, social and health education,, Gillian Feest, congratulated the school on its success.

?This is all part of Devon?s long-term commitment to developing the whole child and his or her potential.

?It?s about developing a healthier, happier environment at school and paying a lot of attention to what the pupils themselves say they need to help them live outside school,? she said.

Earlier this year, the small primary school received funding of £222,000 for the provision of a new gymnastics hall and classroom, and was presented with a prestigious School Achievement Award.