A SPECIAL needs school in Darlington has good reason to celebrate after a hat-trick of positive news.

Staff and pupils at Beaumont Hill Special School were all smiles after it was announced recently that headteacher Della Smith was to be made a Dame of the British Empire.

But the celebrations have continued, with the news that the school is to be given a free minibus and teacher Caroline Berry has been granted a millennium award.

Dame Della will attend a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on December 7, when she will receive her honour from the Queen.

Her award was bestowed in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June.

Dame Della said "I am really looking forward to going to Buckingham Palace. I was absolutely delighted to be nominated. I am not used to the name yet, though. I think it will take a while for it to sink in."

Teacher Caroline Berry is celebrating after winning one of the Farmington Institute Special Needs Millennium Awards. She will research the needs of pupils with profound learning disabilities in religious education lessons.

The award will allow Ms Berry to undertake research on a day-release basis until July next year.

She will produce resources, including story sacks, for each religion, to make the subject more accessible to special needs pupils.

Dame Della said: "It is a very big honour to be selected. Caroline will be working on researching youngsters with special needs and the information will be used right across the country.

"It is an opportunity to influence RE in schools nationally, and that does not come along very often."

The third piece of good news for the school is the arrival of a minibus which has been donated by Darlington Lions and the Darlington and District Youth and Community Association.

The bus was launched yesterday by Darlington Mayor Isobel Hartley.

The pupils who will use the bus helped they mayor at the launch of the new vehicle, in a ceremony at the school.

The bus has been adapted for use by disabled and special needs pupils. It has removable seating and space for seven wheelchairs