SCHOOLchildren in east Cleveland have won a civic pat on the back for being in a class of their own.

Deputy Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland Councillor Ann Higgins presented 18 schools with Healthy School Standard plaques, yesterday.

Councillor Steve Kay, cabinet member for education, said: "Hopefully what the young people have learnt about the importance of keeping healthy will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

"We recognise more than ever that there is a lot of truth in the old idea that education is not only about healthy minds, but also healthy bodies."

The 18 schools were primaries Teesville; Guisborough's Park Lane; Whitecliffe, in Carlin How; St Peter's, at Brotton; Lockwood; Redcar's Riverdale; Bankfields, at Eston; Dormanstown; Ravensworth, at Normanby; Grangetown's Cedmon; Belmont, at Guisborough; Nunthorpe; Normanby; Redcar's Lakes; Grangetown and Kirkleatham Hall, and the secondary schools of Rye Hills, in Redcar, Redcar Community College and Laurence Jackson, Guisborough.