PUPILS and staff from three schools were today picking up £5,000 prizes after winning a hotly-contested competition in The Sentinel.

The latest Class Act awards, sponsored by Barclays, attracted 55 entries from schools across our paper's circulation area.

Each of them was asked to come up with an idea for a project to improve school life.

Now the winners will invest their prize money in turning their projects into a reality.

The cheques are due to be presented to these schools at a celebration lunch being held at Vale Park today.

See tomorrow's

Sentinel

to find out who won and to read our coverage of the awards event.