PUPILS and staff at Ringwood School are celebrating after being awarded The Prince’s Institute Mark for 2013/2014.

The Prince’s Teaching Institute (PTI) launched the Schools Programme in 2007 to recognise and reward school departments that develop inspirational ideas and activities that enhance the teaching of art, English, geography, history, Latin, mathematics, modern foreign languages, music and science, regardless of their pupils’ backgrounds or abilities.

It is run as a membership group for school departments that choose to commit to increasing the challenge of their subject provision.

Ringwood School’s science department received the Mark in recognition of the outstanding contribution made by teachers to the school in 2013/14.

Ms Chris Edwards, headteacher of Ringwood School, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the PTI for our science department’s innovative work. It reflects the team’s dedication to developing the curriculum and giving students the best possible educational experience.”

The PTI’s Schools Programme is open to all state secondary schools in England.

To become members, school departments must demonstrate their commitment to increasing teachers’ subject knowledge and to furthering their students’ understanding of and enthusiasm for the subject, regardless of ability.

To achieve the PTI Mark departments they have to demonstrate that they have increased the challenge within their subject curriculum, developed their staff’s own specialist subject knowledge, developed subject based links outside the school and enthused their pupils through subject based activities beyond the curriculum.

After three years of Schools Programme membership, departments may choose to become Associate Departments by devising an advanced multi-year programme in one of these areas. As Associate Departments they will share their growing expertise with others in the Schools Programme to the benefit of all.