A TOWN'S classroom initiatives have won top marks from an education minister.

Middlesbrough only joined the Government's flagship education programme, Excellence in Cities which is ploughing an extra £200m into the nation's schools this year to help boost standards in September.

However, schools standards minister Estelle Morris is full of praise for the efforts made by the town.

She said yesterday: "Middlesbrough has been swift in implementing Excellence in Cities.

"It has already developed three pioneering activities in partnership with Middlesbrough Football Club and appointed 22 learning mentors, who are making a real difference to the lives and future prospects of hundreds of students in Middlesbrough's schools.''

As well as club management, football coaching and healthy lifestyle courses run by Middlesbrough Football Community Project, other Excellence in Cities-funded schemes include summer schools, the appointment of a mental health nurses as a learning mentor and participation in the BBC2 Technogames programme.

Councillor Geoff Connolly, the borough council's commissioner for education, said yesterday: "Excellence in Cities is proving to be a very valuable tool in our mission to raise standards. It is good to know that what we are doing has been noticed further afield."