THE Arnewood School in New Milton has been designated a National Teaching School.

Teaching Schools take a lead role in recruiting and training new teachers and supporting other schools in the area.

It is one of 60 schools granted the status in the latest round and brings the total across the UK to 600.

Teaching schools are all rated as “outstanding" and their aim is to raise standards through school-to-school support, engage in research and development, and ensure that the most talented school leaders are spotted and supported to become successful headteachers.

Chris Hummerstone, headteacher at The Arnewood School, said: “We are delighted to achieve this designation. Our alliance is ACE – Achieving Collaborative Excellence – and is a wide ranging group of educational specialists including primary and secondary schools, who will be working closely together with local universities, national organisations and other local teaching-school alliances, to carry forward improvements in the school system.”