Students and teachers at Malmesbury School have been awarded top marks in geography after the school was praised for its all-round excellence.

Malmesbury School was among 52 in the country to receive the Secondary Geography Quality Mark in recognition of the high quality of both its teaching and learning in geography.

The award winners have undergone a rigorous process, and the team of assessors were hugely impressed by the manner in which Malmesbury “continued to embrace new and innovative approaches to teaching geography”.

Now in its fifth year, the award also recognises “student attainment, progress and achievement in areas such as geographical knowledge, understanding, values, skills and concepts, and sets expectations about the quality of teaching in geography”.

The Geographical Association’s chief executive Alan Kinder said: “There has never been a more important time for all children and young people to study geography. Growing up in the 21st century means living in an increasingly interconnected world, one facing a growing number of global challenges.”

Malmesbury School headteacher Tim Gilson said “I am really pleased to see this national quality recognition for our geography department. As a geographer myself I am delighted that Malmesbury School has such a strong humanities faculty and geography department.”