THE headteacher of Lime Tree Primary is aiming to put the school firmly on the map by launching two unique initiatives.

In the past few months, Mr Simon Beswick, has opened a caf for parents and the Sale Moor community and introduced karate lessons into the curriculum.

The Citrus caf' was launched with the help of the Sale Moor Partnership and opened on 30 October; it is based at the school and run by a group of fully trained parent volunteers. The caf is proving extremely popular with parents and the school is receiving a lot of positive feedback.

Mr Beswick said: "It is all about getting parents onboard, creating the right sort of ethos, making the school a part of their lives which will hopefully feedback to their children.

"I am also looking to use the caf to develop the healthy eating campaign, to get parents involved in healthy eating in helping to develop healthy eating menus and lunchboxes.

Introducing karate into the curriculum in September has also proved very popular amongst pupils and parents alike. He said: "It offers a unique discipline that teaches them about self control and self-awareness of themselves, it improves their fitness, confidence and most importantly teaches them about respect. We are already seeing improvements in their attendance and behaviour"

Mr Beswick said: "These initiatives are just part of the bigger picture at Lime Tree, my vision is to find a place for all our children in education and develop a love of learning and not be afraid to tread new paths, were an exciting school and we need to stand out from the crowd!'"