A SCHOOL has been named one of the best in Scotland by education inspectors.

Cardinal Newman High in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, has been awarded five Excellent and eight Very Good ratings by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education.

The school was given the top awards for the head teacher's leadership, care and welfare of pupils, parental involvement, development of pupils and dedication of staff.

Inspectors also praised the school's community work projects with pensioners - which include arts and crafts - and vocational education programme.

Cardinal Newman High was one of the first schools to be assessed under HMI's new approach to inspection, which places more of a focus on the impact of new projects on pupils.

Head teacher Isabel Boyd said the glowing report - published as pupils sit their Standard and Higher grade exams - was down to everyone in the school.

She said: "We are delighted the environment for learning and leading and improving the school are the areas where we have excelled the most. This reflects the commitment and effort of every single person here."

The secondary, which has 1085 pupils, is one of 52 schools that has been given £100,000 over three years to develop specialist subjects as part of the Schools of Ambition programme, which gave schools extra funding to drive up classrooms standards This was set up under the former Scottish Executive, but although all those involved will be funded for the three-year duration of the £15million programme, no more will be joining the scheme.

The programme has now been axed.

The curriculum at Cardinal Newman High was also singled out by inspectors for its strong focus on enterprise skills and wide range of courses for all pupils. As well as academic subjects, these include hospitality, horticulture, chef, and construction.

Students on the hospitality programme have access to a professional teaching kitchen and demonstration kitchen.

Inspectors said the school had an "excellent climate of respect and mutual trust" and pupils were highly motivated "whatever their levels of attainment."

The number of pupils gaining five or more Standard Grades at Level Three or above was better than schools with a similar educational profile.

In 2006 St Andrew's in Carntyne, Glasgow, was also given Excellent ratings in five categories by inspectors. It was the first state or independent secondary to receive so many top grades at the time.

This year Springburn Academy, also in Glasgow, was awarded 13 good' ratings and two very good'.

In the same month St Timothy's in Carntyne received one of the best report cards given to a city primary. The school and nursery got six Excellent and eight Very Good ratings.