BOHUNT School in Liphook ended the term on a high note when staff learned they had been awarded a £33,000 national excellence award.

The School Avchievement Award, given by the Department for Education and Skills, is recognition that Bohunt achieves significantly better academic results than other schools in similar circumstances.

Headteacher Alan Taylor-Bennett said: "The letter from Education Minister Stephen Timms arrived on the last day of the spring term and gave a real boost to the already very high morale at Bohunt."

"This award is further recognition of the success we have as we continually strive to provide the very highest standards of education to pupils and their parents.

"The teaching and support staff here are a superb team and we all take pleasure from doing a good job and being recognised in this way. It is a nice follow-on from our recent Investors in People Award and demonstrates that outstanding teamwork produces outstanding results."

In Milford, Rodborough School was also among the list of award-winning schools receiving £23,560, as part of round two of the School Achievement Awards.

The awards are given to schools which achieved high standards in test results. Also receiving awards in the Haslemere area were St Bartholomew's Primary School - £5,790; Beacon Hill Primary - £4,940; Shottermill Infant School - £3,740 and Grayswood Infant School £2,000.

Local MP Virginia Bottomley, who congratulated the 23 local schools in south-west Surrey, said the awards, "were a credit to the pupils, parents and teachers who have worked so hard to achieve these results.

"There is a great deal of pressure on schools and the education system at the moment and the awards are all the more impressive as a result," said Mrs Bottomley.

For a great majority of the schools, awards were based on key stage tests and tasks or GCSE and GNVQ results.

The value of awards relates to the size of a school with a guaranteed minimum for schools with high staffing ratios.