TEACHERS and children at schools in York, North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire were today celebrating after being awarded top marks by education chiefs.

Scarcroft Primary School, in York, which already has the national primary school teacher of the year, Norma Machell, on its staff, was one of 20 schools today awarded "beacon school status" in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Those designated beacon schools have been chosen by the Government because of the good work they do.

The aim is that staff from other schools should visit them and pick up new ideas and skills.

Oatlands Infant School at Harrogate is one of four North Yorkshire schools on the list, and Snaith School, in the East Riding, is also included.

Scarcroft in York has just seen the arrival of a new head teacher, Anna Cornhill.

She said that writing the bid for beacon status had been the first job she had done at the school.

"We were invited to apply and the letter arrived just before I took up the post in May so I put the application in before I actually started," she said.

"I'm delighted to hear the application was successful."

Mrs Cornhill said she had included evidence of Mrs Machell's award, the school's Investors in People award, its Ofsted report and reports from City of York Council education advisers.

The school will now get £45,000 over the next three years to provide training for its own teachers to demonstrate its methods to others.

It will also pay for visits from other teachers to observe staff in literacy and numeracy teaching, monitoring and evaluating the curriculum, staff development and art and display.

Mrs Cornhill said: "It will be a chance to mix with other people and exchange ideas and to demonstrate to each other - we don't get the chance to see each other teach usually. It will be a huge learning experience for staff."

PICTURE:CELEBRATING: Head teacher Anna Cornhill at Scarcroft School, York, with pupils, including Bethany Jamieson, left, and Ezekiel Jacob, right Picture: Frank Dwyer