A NORTH-EAST university's teaching training has been graded as outstanding by Ofsted inspectors.

It is the second time that Durham University's School of Education has received the highest possible accolade and the first time since a new, tougher inspection regime was introduced.

So far the Durham School of Education is the only higher education institution in the country to be given an outstanding grade for teacher training in the new round of inspections.

Professor Peter Tymms, head of the School of Education at Durham University's said: "This is an extraordinary achievement by a very strong team at the university working in partnerships with great schools in the area."

James Noble-Rogers, the executive director of the Universities' Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET), said: "Yet again Durham has proved that they supply excellent teachers to the North East region and beyond."

Founded in the 1830s, the School of Education now trains more than 600 primary and secondary teachers every year