TWO Middlesbrough schools have been awarded Primary Quality Marks by the Basic Skills Agency.

Brambles Primary and Easterside Primary are the first in the town to receive the award, which recognises the systems in place to improve literacy, numeracy and other basic skills for pupils.

Easterside headteacher Ruth Parker believes the award recognises the hard work that all the staff put into ensuring the children get the best possible start in life.

She said: "Everyone is delighted and it's all down to the hard work of the staff. They deserve credit for this award.

"We have developed systems and practices to identify all our children's specific educational needs and give them the appropriate teaching at the right times in their development."

Plaques and certificates were presented to both schools by Pat Collard, from the Basic Skills Council, at a ceremony in the Middlesbrough Teaching and Learning Centre yesterday morning.

Sheila Hauxwell, Brambles Primary deputy headteacher, said: "It's a great honour for our school. We are one of the first schools in the town to achieve the award and it's down to everyone's hard work.

"Even if our Sats results are not the best, we can show that we have given our children the best education we can by looking at what they are good at and ensuring they are praised for that work as well as in literacy and numeracy."

The Basic Skills Agency is the national agency that ensures standards of basic learning are achieved throughout primary and secondary schools.