PUPILS at Ormgill Infant School were celebrating their fundraising efforts and the chances brought about in the 1990’s.

The Mail reported how the students at Ormgill Infant School banned sweets at their tuck shop and made it so only fruit could be sold there in 1993.

The Mail:

The Barrow school was able to reduce tooth decay in its pupils by half in just four years.

This came after Millom and West Cumbria dental officer Paul Davies had condemned schools who sold sweets and fizzy drinks on their premises.

Ormsgill Primary School teachers was praised by Dental chiefs for their stance after figures showed the number of children with took decay had fallen by 54 per cent.

The Mail:

Headteacher James Abbot said: “We wanted to develop the children’s self-awareness about their own bodies and looking after their health. We don’t allow them to bring anything bad for their teeth into school.”

South Cumbria Health Authority dentist Keith Chesteron praised the school’s efforts.

The Mail:

“Tooth decay happens largely as a result of the frequent consumption of sugar containing foods and drinks. I am convinced by preventing children indulging these during school hours will greatly help reduce it.”

In 1992, The Mail reported how the pupils raised money through exercise and fun.

The Mail:

The infants took part in the British Heart Foundation’s Jump Rope for Heart event at their school.

They were helping support the Foundation’s battle against heart disease - the nation’s number one killer.

The event took one hour and was completed by the children in teams of six.

The Mail:

In that same year, the school was kitted out with new wooden bookcases and boxes.

They had been made by young offenders under the supervision of the probation service in Barrow.

The bookcases and “kinderboxes” were made at the probation service’s workshop. The materials were provided by Friends of Ormsgill Infant School. Their contributions also helped the school organise the Christmas Fairs and Welly Wangling days.