Ryburn Valley High School, Sowerby Bridge High and Queensbury School were all congratulated on their achievements by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.

Ryburn Valley High improved its rate of success at GCSE from 47 per cent getting five A* to C grades in 2004 to 68 per cent in 2007.

Deputy head teacher Honor Byford said: "This is recognition of what specialist school status has done for Ryburn and the hard work of the staff involved."

She said that being a specialist media arts school had an impact on teaching and learning across the school, with cross-curricular projects in history, English and media, and artists-in-residence working with the school.

"It has been a huge success story," said Mrs Byford.

Sowerby Bridge and Queensbury, which both have specialist maths and computing status, were also among the 359 schools to be praised.

Sowerby Bridge has raised its GCSE success rate from 28 to 45 per cent, and Queensbury has gone from 32 per cent to 55.

Elizabeth Reid, chief executive of the trust, said: "Good schools have a story to tell and the specialist schools programme sees what works and how it can be replicated so all schools are making improvements year after year."