A SCHOOL has celebrated receiving a gold award for the quality of its art teaching.

Whitefields School and Centre in Macdonald Road, Walthamstow, received an Artsmark gold award for the second time running.

Jan Newman, deputy headteacher, said the prestigious award has to be renewed every four years and everyone at the school is "extremely proud" of the achievement.

Whitefield is the largest special school in Europe and has 300 pupils on the roll who have a wide range of special educational needs.

The school provides arts, crafts, music, dance and drama classes.

Ms Newman, also line manager for expressive arts, said a huge portfolio had to be sent away to the Arts Council for assessment and an assessor visited the school for a day.

To celebrate the award a gospel concert was performed at the school today.