Tadcaster Grammar School has been given £5,000 of Lottery funding to set up an after-school and lunchtime club. The school was given the funding from the Awards For All Lottery scheme.

The money will be used to set up a sewing club which will allow students to create their own designs and download them on to computerised sewing machines and stitch out the design.

Country contest

Rural schools are invited to get involved in 2003 Countryside Awards organised by the National Farmers' Union. Nominations are sought for the village school of the year and rural teacher of the year awards. The closing date for entries is April 14, for information phone 0870 8402030.

Alison off to Oxford

Another North Yorkshire student is celebrating after getting a place at one of the country's most prestigious universities.

Alison Dale, a pupil at Pocklington School, will be attending St Edmund Hall, Oxford, to read chemistry.

Alison, who has already gained an AS-level in physics, is currently studying for A-levels in maths, chemistry and biology and an AS in philosophy.

Final debate

Two students from York will be travelling to Oxford University after winning a place in the schools debating final. Helen McMillan and Tom Lennon from Huntington School, will be taking part in the final. The students have to prepare a case for and against an issue in 15 minutes before giving a five-minute speech.

Training licence

York College has been recognised for developing training programmes. The college is the first in North Yorkshire to receive the NCFE Investing in Quality Licence. Lesley Roe, Director of NCFE, visited the college to make a formal presentation of the licence, which will be used to kite mark courses and projects, to college principal Mike Galloway. The validation co-ordinator at the college, Jan Young, said she was delighted the college has been recognised by the NCFE.

Super healthy

Children from Tang Hall Primary School visited a York superstore today to find out about healthy foods. As part of a new healthy eating programme in schools Year Five and Six pupils visited Asda, at Monks Cross. They learned about different types of food, what is good for you and what is not.

Win £400 prize

Schools and community groups could be in with a chance of winning £400 for coming up with a project to help rivers. Yorkshire Water is giving away the cash as part of the Evening Press River Rescue competition.

The project can be as simple as planting bulbs near to a river bank to make it look nice or improving disabled access to a river side. Entries should be sent to Rosemary Cook, Evening Press, 76 to 86 Walmgate, YO1 9YN.

Updated: 11:04 Wednesday, February 26, 2003