Two schools marked for demolition have won a ministerial accolade for improving exam results.

Doomed Langbaurgh and neighbouring Keldholme secondary schools, in east Middlesbrough, will close for good in July to make way for a multi-million pound city academy.

Falling school rolls and failing academic achievement were cited as the reasons why they must go, yet both schools have scored a unique first by both winning a School Achievement Award, approved by Education Secretary Estelle Morris herself.

The irony is not lost on the governors who battled to keep the schools open.

Ian Bruce, chairman Langbaurgh governors and Brian Whitfield, his opposite number at Keldholme say in a joint statement: "This award is a great tribute to the professional dedication of all our staff, both teaching and non teaching, although it is slightly ironic in the light of the original rationale in the two plans of 2000 for closing our schools."

During the 1990s, almost half of Langbaurgh's pupils sat no exams whatsoever, yet in the most recent results 96 per cent achieved at least one GCSE.

Both schools have won the award despite losing 60 percent of their teaching staff in the two years following the closure announcement.

A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: "We would like to say well done to both schools. The schools will close in September while the whole school community will be very pleased they are ending on a high note.

"The situation is falling schools rolls and a vital need to raise standards in the secondary sector in east Middlesbrough led us to be the first council in the North-East to host a city academy with the express purpose of raising standards."