INNOVATIVE schools which share the same building are helping pupils shine only three weeks after opening.

Beverley and Prince Bishop schools were funded by Middlesbrough Council's £100m Building Schools for the Future programme.

A spacious light-filled lounge filled with comfy chairs is proving a haven for sixth formers at Beverley School.

The new facility, which could soon have a cafe, is one of the many designs in which staff and students had a hand.

Addy Jones and Bobby Tehrani, both 16, said they had settled in well and their wish-list of an outdoor chess set and a music room had come true.

Jane May, assistant headteacher at the school, which teaches children from three to 19 with autistic spectrum disorders, said the amount of space offered by the purpose-built campus was one of its main assets.

"The calmness and the enjoyment on the children's faces has been wonderful, " she said.

"Both academically and socially, this building will enhance the wellbeing of all our children."

She said: "We are seeing the benefits already and we are so excited about what will be achieved in the future."

Interlocking doors mean that Prince Bishop School, formerly known as Tollesby, can share most rooms with Beverley, yet pupils need never meet.

Kirsten Dinsdale, headteacher at Prince Bishop, a school for children with behavioural problems, said: "We wanted a building that was fit for purpose as pupils have issues in managing their behaviour.

"They had low self-esteem and self-worth and did not feel valued, but now they feel they play a much bigger part in Middlesbrough's future."

Interactive whiteboards and computers in every classroom help to keep pupils focused and motivated, she said.

Anthony Rawlings and Ashley Taylor, both 13, said they were proud to wear their new school uniforms, and 16year-old Michael Thompson praised his headteacher for increasing the number of GCSEs offered.

"People didn't think we could do GCSEs, " he said.

"But she did."