TOTS, teachers and parents came together for a fun-filled party as a Barrow school celebrated its first anniversary of taking on two-year-old children.

In September last year, St George's Primary School in Barrow set up the Little Dragons group for two-year-olds.

To celebrate their successful first year which has seen 16 tots join the roster, the school hosted a party with face painting, cakes and balloons and invited parents, governors and members of the community to join them for the occasion.

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Leanne Holmes, 27, a senior teaching assistant who helped to set up the group, said: "It was absolutely amazing. This group is growing and growing and kids love being a part of it."

The youngsters all do 15 hours a week in morning or afternoon sessions spread across five days.

Miss Holmes believes that being in the school environment from such a young age helps the children to form bonds which carry on through their primary school years.

She said: "It's great that they can build strong friendships from an early age and you often find that they stay friends with those children as they move through school. They grow up together, which for parents and teachers is lovely to see.

"I've seen a lot of children that came to us last year who were very quiet but now, after becoming more comfortable in their surroundings, they've really come out of their shells and you wouldn't think they were the same children.

"It also helps them to learn things from a young age. Even if they're painting or doing a messy play, we always ask them about what they're doing and the colours that they're using, which is beneficial to their learning.

"It's in the first three or four years of their lives that they learn the most and soak things up like a sponge, so it's important that we make the most of it while also having fun at the same time.

After its initial success, the group is now keen to keep on growing and adding more two-year-olds to the register in the future.

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Miss Holmes added: "It has been really popular, so we are hoping to expand. It's still early days, so I'm not sure at the moment how many we're looking to add, but if we can get 10 in the morning and 10 in the afternoon that would be great.

"We're very lucky that we've got the space inside and out to make learning fun and I'm sure there will be many more celebrations to come in the next few years."