A YORK school was celebrating a double success after a pupil and a teacher each scooped prestigious awards.

Harriet Ennis, who is head of Psychology at Bootham School, and pupil Elizabeth Waterman, each showcased their talents in two different areas.

Ms Ennis will head to Malaysia after winning an Amerada Hess Environmental Award for Teachers for helping the school to improve environmental sustainability and Elizabeth won an Arkwright Scholarship for her design skills.

Next month Ms Ennis will join Earthwatch scientists and two other award winners at the Ma'Daerah turtle hatchery in Malaysia before moving to the remote island of Pulau Redang as part of the Green Turtles of Malaysia project.

There she will gather data about female turtles and their nesting sites in order to assess how environmental conditions are affecting endangered green sea turtles.

Harriet said: "The Amerada Hess Environmental Awards are a fantastic opportunity for teachers like me to leave the classroom and gain practical experience in the field.

As a result of the awards, the Bootham School environmental project has snowballed from a wildlife garden to a whole-school environmental sustainability plan and we're still making exciting progress.

The group of students that make up our new Bootham Environment and Sustainability Team (BEAST) are fantastic and the projects we have underway are gathering interest and support from the whole community. Winning the two-week trip to Malaysia is just the icing on the cake for me."

Talented pupil Elizabeth successfully completed an aptitude paper and designed a tray for older people, which included a cushioned base and large handles.

She will be formally presented with her Arkwright Certificate at a ceremony in London later this year.

Eamonn Molloy, head of design technology at Bootham School, said, "Elizabeth's work shows flair and promise, this award brings outside recognition of those talents."

Meanwhile the school's resident artist Freya Horsely is currently staging her end of residency exhibition at the school.

During her two years with the school, Freya has attracted interest from across the north and north west of England and describes her abstract landscapes as an exploration of the elemental nature of land."

Having completed an MA at York University, Freya stayed on to teach their alongside the school's head of art Richard Barnes.

Mr Barnes said: "Having Freya working in the school's studio as a professional artist is hugely positive for our students, they not only gain from her expertise, but also see that making your living as an exhibiting artist is a real possibility."

Freya hopes to establish a permanent studio with gallery space in the city and is currently looking for premises.

Updated: 11:14 Wednesday, June 29, 2005