A PRIMARY school teacher in one of the region's more remote schools has been named the best in Britain.

Susan Hollows, headteacher at Sutton-Under-Whitestone-cliffe C of E Primary School, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, was awarded the title of Rural Schoolteacher of the Year at the National Farmers Union (NFU) Countryside Awards.

Yesterday, Richard Whitfield, business development manager of the NFU, handed an award certificate to Ms Hollows at the school's harvest festival celebrations.

It is the first year of the awards.

They are designed to recognise the achievements of individuals and communities across Britain's countryside, and to put rural areas into a positive framework after a very difficult recent few years.

Mr Whitfield said: "These awards are about identifying and rewarding people in the rural countryside whose outstanding work goes by unnoticed.

"Susan's title was one of 11 that was awarded at a gala lunch in London.

"They included a personal achievement award for an under 16-year-old, a rural business person of the year accolade and a school of the year award."

Ms Hollows, of Kirby Moorside, near York, had not been aware that she had been nominated.

"It is the first year that these awards have been held and unbeknown to me, some parents had put my name forward," she said.

"I am so pleased to have been given the title and I'm very proud of this school."

"There is a wonderful, caring environment here and we have received wonderful reports from our external testing.

"I have a very strong belief in traditional education and I think good behaviour and respect is paramount."

During the foot-and-mouth crisis, her careful liaison between the school and local farmers enabled the school to stay open to provide a focal point away from the difficulties that many of the children were facing at home.

Working alongside the governors, she has also spearheaded fundraising efforts for a new school building and gained permission for this to be constructed last year.

The £500 she won with the title has been put towards buying extra equipment for the school.