TEACHERS were highly praised yesterday for the way they help children in a small pre-school class in a rural village to learn about life.

An assessor from the Learning Alliance who spent two days watching the action in the class at Bowes, near Barnard Castle, decided that it deserved to be accredited.

It is one of only a handful in the county to be awarded this recognition by the alliance, which is based in London and has the aim of raising standards in this type of class nationally.

Its report stated: "The staff work really well as a team and the group is well-managed. It is an excellent environment for children to be motivated to learn, make choices and develop independence."

Helen Needham, manager of the class, which has 23 toddlers aged two to five, said: "We are delighted with the report. We try to give youngsters a good start, so that it is easier for them to step up later to the normal school.

"An experience like this teaches them a lot, but the social side is the most important. They pick up social and emotional skills which makes it easy for them to mix with other children when they are older."

Some of the young ones were busy yesterday making pizzas, which they were later able to eat, while others used computers or played with a variety of toys.

The parents have to pay fees for the children, who attend either half days or full days, but these are partly offset by government funding.