STAFF at 13 Bury schools have won themselves pay bonuses thanks to their hard work and dedication.

Schools Minister Estelle Morris revealed the schools which earned School Achievement Awards. They will each get between £2,000 and £10,000 to fund pay bonuses for staff.

Receiving Improvement Awards in Bury North are Chesham Primary School; Fairfield CP School; Fishpool Infant School; Hazlehurst Primary School; Holy Trinity CE Primary School; Springside Primary School; St Andrew's CE Primary School, Ramsbottom; St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School; Summerseat Methodist Primary School.

All these schools received recognition for substantially improved results during the last four years. In addition Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School, Greenhill Primary School, Hoyle Nursery and Lowercroft Primary School won Excellence Awards in recognition of their good results compared with other similar schools.

Father Derek Hailes, chairman of governors at Holy Trinity CE School in Cecil Street, said he was most pleased with their award of £4,150 to recognise the significant improvements in its results from 1997 to 2000.

"We are delighted that the efforts of the school and teaching staff have been rewarded in this way," he said.

Bury North MP David Chaytor said he was delighted that so many schools in his constituency had won awards and he has sent out letters of congratulation.

Mr Chaytor said: "The purpose of the awards is to celebrate success and provide an opportunity to reward the whole staff team, support staff as well as teachers, for their contribution.

"Test and exam results are not the whole story of course. But I hope that the schools which have won an award will be rightly proud of what they have achieved and encouraged to carry on their good work in the future."