Many rural schools were facing the challenge of falling pupil numbers in 2006.

But Pennington C of E Primary School was bucking the trend and was, in fact, expanding.

CLASS: A performance of Pennington C of E School’s play The Bumble Snouts Save The World on the school playing field in 1996

CLASS: A performance of Pennington C of E School’s play The Bumble Snouts Save The World on the school playing field in 1996

The village school had been hailed ‘outstanding’ and ‘one of the best in the country’ by Ofsted.

Pennington was so popular that a new reception building was about to be built.

The 174-pupil school was set to rise to 187 children from September 2007.

Jeni Boothman, the school’s head for the past 16 years, said: “We believe every child matters, we always have.

CRAFT: Swill maker Owen Jones visited Pennington C of E School in 1996. He is pictured helping Joanne, nine, (left) and Hannah, nine, to make traditional oak swill baskets

CRAFT: Swill maker Owen Jones visited Pennington C of E School in 1996. He is pictured helping Joanne, nine, (left) and Hannah, nine, to make traditional oak swill baskets

“If we have artists in, or specialist challenges, it’s not just for those who are good at it, it’s for everyone.

“When a child excels in one area it can be detrimental to other areas so we work with those other areas. We want children to be rounded.”

Accolades were nothing new in 2006 at the busy four-to-11-year-old school, based outside Ulverston.

Pennington School had been the first primary in Cumbria to be awarded Beacon School Status and Investors-in-People status.

It was also one of the first cohort of schools to gain Healthy Schools Status.

Mrs Boothman put the success down to strong relationships between staff, pupils and the community.

She said: “Relationships are very important. There is a caring ethos.”

HAT: Craig Newby, 11, who played Marmaduke in Pennington C of E School’s play The Bumble Snouts Save The World in 1996

HAT: Craig Newby, 11, who played Marmaduke in Pennington C of E School’s play The Bumble Snouts Save The World in 1996

And she added: “I am proud.

"We are lucky we have lovely hard-working children and hard-working staff. Everyone is involved in decisions. We have very supportive governors."

Outside the school was a large playing, infant garden, wildlife garden and a two-storey playhouse, all set against the backdrop of Pennington's fells.

Inside was equally eye-catching, with the pupil's colourful artwork proudly displayed on every wall.

An unusual feature was a climbing wall in the school hall.

Mrs Boothman said the teaching ethos was to make learning fun. She said: "I think the curriculum is very rich. We have fun here, we make education fun."