TEACHERS and pupils at a Birtley school are celebrating after winning a series of top training and community awards.

The quality of staff training and development at Lord Lawson of Beamish Community School has again been recognised as the school has been given the Investor in People award for the third time.

It was also awarded the NTL Award for the Best Community Programme at a conference of the Technology Colleges Trust.

The school first applied for Investor in People status in 1993 at the invitation of the Tyneside Training and Enterprise Council, and was one of only two schools to seek an award.

It won its second award in 1997 and it scooped its third award following an assessment last December.

The inspection report said that "all of those interviewed were in no doubt that the school is committed to supporting the learning and development of its employees."

The NTL Award was given to the school for the wide range of work it does in the community which Education Minister Estelle Morris praised in a speech.

The school, a Specialist Arts College that caters for gifted children, last year achieved the biggest improvement in GCSE results in the Gateshead area and fast-tracked 12 pupils through their GCSE art course.

School headteacher Maureen Maltby said: "Hard work by our employees, commitment from students and support from parents and governors has made us so successful."