BUDDING journalists at Barkway First School have scooped a top prize for their school newspaper. They have been given a Times Educational Supplement award for their publication, the Barkway Beagle, and collected the certificate at a ceremony held in Londo

BUDDING journalists at Barkway First School have scooped a top prize for their school newspaper.

They have been given a Times Educational Supplement award for their publication, the Barkway Beagle, and collected the certificate at a ceremony held in London's Palace of Westminster.

Jenny Heinzelmann, head teacher of the school, said: "The school paper has been a tradition for a long time.

"This is the 11th edition we have produced and the TES award is the most prestigious prize we've received yet."

This school did something a little different with this years paper, creating a journal containing news from 1607.

Mrs Heinzelmann said: "We've been studying the Stewarts this year, so it was a chance for the children to put their knowledge into practice.

"We try to make the newspaper as cross-curricular as possible.

"We called it the Barkway Beagle because King James I, who was on the throne in 1607, had a beagle lodge in Royston, and often stayed there while hunting in this area."

The school is also celebrating picking up the Artsmark Silver award from the Arts Council.

This is in recognition for the quality of Barkway's' art curriculum.

Mrs Heinzelmann added: "We think the Arts Council was particularly impressed with the visual arts provision at the school.