A CRAVEN school has won a coveted national award for its online links with others across Europe.

A moving Christmas Truce initiative has earned Steeton Primary the accolade for best eTwinning project in the UK.

It was up against more than 60 other schools in the scheme, with awards being presented in a ceremony at the National College for Teaching and Leadership in Nottingham.

As part of its innovative project – in remembrance of the First World War Christmas Truce in 1914 – Steeton partnered with schools in Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Ukraine.

Pupils took part in a live video carol concert, when they sang Silent Night together in their respective languages.

Children also learned about the Great War and shared the information with their partner schools, and the venture culminated with an exchange of Christmas cards.

An ebook of the project has been created.

Steeton Primary School headteacher, John Cooper, said the award is a tremendous honour.

"It is an amazing achievement for everyone who took part in the project," he added.

"The international Christmas assembly was a very moving culmination to the venture, which helped all our children focus on the centenary of the First World War."

Teacher and project co-ordinator, Diana Linford, said: "It was a privilege to participate in and manage this.

"The children at Steeton Primary School love taking part in eTwinning projects, and it broadens and deepens our curriculum when we are able to share our learning with pupils and teachers in other countries.

"Our pupils are used to working with their peers internationally."

Awards assessors described the project as "immaculately planned and delivered and recorded to an extremely high standard", and said it "delivered motivating active-learning actions throughout".

The eTwinning digital community links schools and colleges across Europe and involves more than 300,000 teachers.

It is funded by the European Commission and managed in the UK by the British Council. The programme celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.

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