A West Cumbrian primary school is scaling new heights as it starts a new life as an academy.

Following a consultation with parents, Lorton Primary School applied to the Department for Education to become an academy last June and has now been converted.

Headteacher Olivia Harrison said: "In order to continue providing our family and child-centred approach to teaching, Lorton Primary School has joined the Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust.

"After very careful consideration we felt that in order to access essential back of office services and support, the best option was to join a MAT.

"This will allow the school to continue focusing on teaching and provide the very best environment for any child to learn and explore.

"Becoming a MAT may seem like big news, but at pupil and parent level you will see no change apart from an even more friendly and less stressed face from our very dedicated and highly skilled team here at Lorton.

"In joining the Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust, we will be joining a group of schools who believe that everyone has something to offer and schooling is about much more than attainment targets."

One of the 70-pupil school's first targets as an academy is to build a new adventure playground for the whole community, which it hopes to put on land owned by the parish council.

Mrs Harrison said: "We have a bordering field belonging to the parish council which we use for PE and play times. We have agreed to lease a corner of the field to put in a new adventure playground.

"We have a playground in the yard but it's coming to the end of its lifespan."

The playground is expected to cost about £50,000. Friends of Lorton School (Fols) have raised about £11,000 so far.

About 50 pupils took to the climbing wall at Workington Leisure Centre in the hope of raising a further £1,000.

Between them they scaled the height of the three highest Lakeland peaks - Scafell (978m), Helvellyn (950m) and Skiddaw (931m) - in one afternoon.

Parent Zoe Gilbert said: "The kids did a fantastic job. They were aiming to climb 2,859m and did 3,410m.

"The whole school, apart from reception and year one, took part. Some of them were proficient climbers, others had never done it before but were really enthusiastic about it by the end."

To sponsor the children, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/folsplayground