THE head teacher of a Lakeland secondary school has congratulated students for their record of achievement.

Speaking at the John Ruskin School awards evening, Miriam Bailey talked up the ‘unique experience’ of being part of the Coniston school.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron and new chair of governors, Ian Culley, presented certificates and prizes to school-leavers.

“It seems impossible to think that most of these young people first came to us five years ago,” said Mrs Bailey.

“How quickly time passes when you are having fun! I am sure that not all of you would say that it was fun all of the time, but I hope you are able to reflect, with some fondness,, on your time at school.

“Being at John Ruskin is a unique experience – like being part of a family. We know every single student here as an individual. It is a caring and personalised environment where everybody knows your name.”

Mrs Bailey celebrated the alternative opportunities on offer to pupils at the school, including the annual Coniston fell race, poetry writing at Dove Cottage and visits to France and Portugal.

Mrs Bailey also expressed her pride in the school being awarded the Geography Quality Mark for high-quality teaching and concluded by wishing pupils well in their future education.

Award winners: Jessica Arnold; Ashleigh Booth; Sally-Ann Buttriss; Liam Cameron; Laura Davidson; Jenny Dawson Atkinson; Carol Dunkley; Jack Flynn; Frankie Gard-Storry; Stephen Garnett; James Gillies; Joshua Glennon; Katy Griffiths; Sam Guy; Louis Guy; Kathy Hadwin; Joe Hadwin; Kerensa Hanna; Charlotte Harrison; Rosina Hosking; James Johnston; Molly Kennelly; Samantha Lafferty; Esther Lambert; Ruth Lambert; Alice Longmire; James Maher; Patrick Maher; William Maher; Oscar Meanwell; Hector Meanwell; Jack Mein; Ellie Meredith; Russell Peet; Olivia Pickup; James Postlethwaite; Matthew Quinn-McCarter; Joshua Rogers; Chloe Rowe; Robbie Sanders; Callum Slater; David Snell; Daniel Snell; Ben Thompson; Brett Usher; Christopher Walker; Emma Warbrick; Jake Wilson; Victoria Woodbridge; Lauren Young. Junior Prizes. Subject Prizes. Year 7. Geography: Chloe Bevins. Expressive Arts: Evie Frost. Citizenship: Evie Frost. RE: Charlotte Harrison. Art: Myles Hennelly. Food: Alisha Hutchinson. Science: Molly Kennelly. English: Samantha Lafferty. IT: Jessica Parkinson. History: Elouise Pidduck. Music: Jessica Reed. French: Callum Slater. Resistant Materials: Bethlyn Wickens. Maths: Bethlyn Wickens. PE: Harry Young. Year 8. RE: John Barr. Maths: Niall Cameron. Citizenship: Niall Cameron. Resistant Materials: Niall Cameron. Art: Ella Clarke. French: Ella Clarke. Music: Ella Clarke. PE: Kerensa Hanna. Expressive Arts: Georgia Howard. History: Georgia Howard. Science: Georgia Howard. IT: Hector Meanwell. Geography: India Rawnsley. Food: Ioanna Stergiaki. English: Olivia Tencate. Year 10. Maths: Jessica Arnold. RE: Hannah Dalton. PE: Kathy Hadwin. History: Johnny Hodder. Music: James Johnston. Resistant Materials: James Johnston. Science: Alice Longmire. Geography: Oscar Meanwell. Art: Olivia Pickup. English: Olivia Pickup. Expressive Arts: Luke Smithurst. Citizenship: Luke Smithurst. French: Pippa Van Heeswijk. Food: Katie Wolfendale. IT: Katie Wolfendale. Special Prizes. Merckel Prize, progress in Year 8: Ashleigh Booth. Brown Junior Science: Madeline Cole. CM Bullough Junior HE: Jenny Dawson-Atkinson. Kathleen Raven Junior Art: Rowan Dust-Ambler. RE Junior: Rosie Elkington-Crabtree. Taylforth Junior PE: Ryan Fenna. Marie Illingworth Junior Expressive Arts: Frankie Gard-Storry. Adie Moffat Junior Music: Jodie Goddard. Cowcill Prize, progress in Year 7: Megan Graham. VA Hollowell Junior English: Kayleigh Hambly. French Junior: Chloe Hamilton. Hext Prize, progress Year 9 girl: Shannon Hutchinson. Southern Junior History: Megan Irvine. Agnes Inman Junior Citizenship Award: William Longmire. Joan Ramsbottom Prize, courtesy and integrity, Year 10 girl: Ruth Postlethwaite. Brownlee Junior IT: Chelsea Raines. Rawdon Smith Prize, courtesy and integrity, Year 10 boy: Joshua Rogers. Cohen Junior Maths: Chloe Rowe. Nibthwaite Prize, progress Year 9 boy: Robbie Sanders. Oscar Gnosspelius Junior Technology: Andrew Vickers. Mather Junior Geography: Siobhan Weston. Senior Prizes. Ronald Raven Senior ICT: Jemma Cameron. Collingwood Art Prize, most progress: Jemma Cameron. Agnes Inman Spoken English: Jemma Cameron. Emma Holt Senior Catering: Laura Davidson. Dilling Senior English: Laura Davidson. Catering: Caleb East. Woodman Senior French: Abigail Fitzpatrick. John Raven Senior Progress: Sam Grave. Isobel Ross Senior History: Vicki Hennelly. Graphic Products: Rosina Hosking. Dora Altouryan Senior Vocational Education: Patricia Inman. Stead Senior Art: Amy Irvine. Constantinesco Senior Maths: Amy Irvine. Darbishire Senior English: Amy Irvine. Butterworth Prize, best overall performance at GCSE: Amy Irvine. Coniston Co-operative Society Citizenship Prize: Esther Lambert. Edna Kitchen Senior Expressive Arts: William Maher. Hughes Senior Science: William Maher. Science Bursary Prize, Barrow & District Association of Engineers: William Maher. Ron Creer Prize, leaver who brought most cheer and joy to the school: William Maher. Harold Holden Senior Music: Robert Sadler. Appleyard Senior Geography: Harriet Swinson. Gutrod Senior PE: Brett Usher. WC Crispin Senior Technology: Brett Usher. John Raven Senior RE: Lauren Young. Daisy Rawdon Smith, consistent effort in Year 11: Lauren Young.