Simon Marks Jewish Primary school has won “gold” in the Healthy Schools London Awards.

The only school in Hackney to achieve the status - the highest available - it means the Jewish school now ranks among the top 255 healthiest in London.

Simon Marks Primary encourages students to keep active. The "Daily Mile" means it gets each class walking, jogging or running a mile a few times a week, and pupils now exercise 27 per cent more during break times.

"It was an absolute pleasure to accept this award for our school, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to healthy eating." said Mr Gilani, a teacher at Simon Marks who was presented with the award funded by the mayor of London on June 27 at City Hall.

Air quality monitoring and a cycling intitiative have also helped get pupils, staff and parents thinking about air pollution. Lunch now includes a salad bar, juices and smoothies to promote healthy living daily.