A school has been given a helping hand by the National Lottery as it plans to build on its recent success in gymnastics.

Bedale High School, in North Yorkshire, scooped three titles in the Hambleton and Richmondshire Area Championships - scoring victories with teams representing the under-13 and under-15 boys and the under-13 girls.

However, more good news has been confirmed with a £4,993 grant on its way, from the Lottery Grants for Local Groups Awards For All pot.

Judy Clayon runs the popular after-school gymnastics club.

She said: "The success of gymnastics at Bedale High has been based on staff expertise and time, facilities and equipment.

"The school has offered a high standard of teaching and coaching for many years, using pretty standard equipment; this grant allows us to purchase brand new facilities to further extend the students and enhance the good work which is currently taking place."

The head of PE, Martyn Coombs, added: "Curriculum gymnastics is a real success for the school but we have always had the difficulty that, in this rural area, there are very few exit routes for our talented gymnasts to continue with their interest out of school hours.

"The grant and the time which Mrs Clayton spends with the gymnasts now provides talented gymnasts with a well-equipped club quite literally on their doorsteps."

Meanwhile, Bedale High School has also been singled out for praise for its work experience programme.

A certificate recording high standards has been presented by the North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership, which awards accreditation across the county.

The award highlights two dozen positive aspects of the programme, including excellent documentation and forward planning as well as sound health and safety procedures.

Coordinator, Mr Coombs, was also described as "committed, enthusiastic and experienced", while there was praise, too, for the relevance of the placements which employers had helped you make as real as possible for the students