A COLLEGE is proving to be a leading light for others.

Cleveland College of Art and Design has been awarded beacon status.

The annual Association of Colleges Beacon Awards recognises and rewards innovative and exemplary teaching and learning practice.

The Middlesbrough-based college won top prize in the Protocol Professional Award for Art and Design, having been chosen from nearly 300 entries.

Awards spokesperson Pat Morgan-Webb said: "Over the last 12 years the awards have been, quite literally, a beacon of the immense progress made by further education colleges."