PEDAL power has earned a prestigious regional award for one Darlington school.

The Rydal Academy was crowned the Regional School of Year for Promoting Cycling at the Modeshift Stars Award ceremony in Leeds.

Pupils, staff and governor representatives also scooped the National School Travel Award Gold Star Accreditation, which less than 400 schools received out of 11,000.

The awards are designed to recognise outstanding efforts made by the school community for promoting road safety and providing access to bikes for all pupils.

Rydal’s head teacher, John Armitage, said: “We are extremely proud to be recognised as the Regional School of the Year for Promoting Cycling.

“The school has improved beyond recognition over the last three years and the efforts of our immeasurably talented pupils and our exceptionally dedicated staff, alongside much improved links with parents and the local community, are now being recognised on a wider scale.

“We have changed the entire ethos and approach of the school to reflect the world our pupils live in today and to tailor our outstanding curriculum and teaching provision to reflect the needs of our pupils.”

Rydal Academy beat all other regional contenders, which is made up of school’s from across the North-East, Yorkshire and Humber, to the award and works hard to encourage pupils to take their love of cycling with them when they move up to secondary school,