Top school puts lessons on Nintendo DS

An award-winning Shropshire school is embracing the digital age by using handheld games consoles to provide an exciting and alternative way of learning for its children.

Youngsters at closure-threatened Clunbury Primary School, near Bishop's Castle, are using Nintendo DS consoles in the classroom to boost their learning.

And the consoles are linked up wirelessly so teachers can send and receive work and assess each pupil's progress separately or set group tasks to enhance the learning experience.

Using educational software, the youngsters are improving their maths and English skills while getting to play on the state-of-the-art gadgets.

The school is also using MP3 recorders, blogs and podcasts as teaching tools and as a way of communicating with parents and other schools around the world.Headteacher Andrew Davies said using the consoles was an "exciting and alternative way of approaching education".

The idea is the latest innovation in teaching at the school, which was named as the joint top Information and Communications Technology (ICT) school in England by government agency Becta - lead partner in the strategic development and delivery of the Government's schools technology strategy.

However, the school is one of 16 primaries in Shropshire facing mergers under a County Council proposal.

The council cabinet will have to decide tomorrow on one of four options relating to the Lydbury North and Clunbury schools.