Last updated at 16:46, Thursday, 10 January 2013

A GROUP of high-flying pupils’ exam success earned their school a congratulatory note from a key government figure.

But Low Furness Primary School’s joy at receiving a special letter from schools minister David Laws was short lived – after staff and pupils discovered a prized bottle greenhouse had been vandalised when they returned to school following the Christmas break.

Headteacher Sue Little was delighted to receive Mr Laws’ letter complimenting the school’s “excellent rates of progress” in English and maths.

He said the Urswick school’s success in the latest Key Stage 2 SATs, which saw every single pupil achieve a Level 4 or higher, places it “amongst the top performing primary schools”.

Mrs Little said that, although the school does not focus entirely on exam results, she had been delighted by the progress made.

She added: “It is not just down to the school — it is the support of the community and parents.

“And it was hard work and commitment from the children who were very dedicated.”

But with the new term under way, children and staff were disappointed to find their bottle greenhouse, which the children spent hours helping to build, had been vandalised — before it had even been used.

The Evening Mail published pictures last year when the structure was completed and pupils are now facing the task of rebuilding it.

But despite their disappointment, the youngsters are putting on a brave face and are determined not to let the vandals win.

Mia Sullivan, 10, said: “We can re-use quite a lot of the bottles.”

Her classmate Abby Stockdale, also 10, added: “It took ages to make and it is really disappointing that people don’t have any respect for it.”

The greenhouse was built as part of the school’s environmentally friendly efforts.

Ten-year-old Gabrielle Davies said: “We try and get the school to be a green school — the bottle greenhouse was recycled and good for the environment.”

George Stubbs, 10, said: “It started two years ago when we started collecting bottles.”

Nine-year-old Scarlet Morland, meanwhile, had some sage advice for the people responsible for the damage.

She said: “They should treat our things, that we took time on, how they would like to be treated.”

First published at 16:34, Thursday, 10 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk