SOUTH Ayrshire schools have been awarded national recognition from sportscotland for their innovation and achievement in delivering school sport.

24 schools in the area passed with flying colours and five were added to a list of gold award winners which is now up to 11 in total. The new gold winners included: Barassie Primary; Dalmilling Primary; Monkton Primary, Sacred Heart Primary; and Troon Primary.

The sportscotland School Sport Award is a national initiative designed to encourage schools to continuously improve physical education and sport. It puts young people at the forefront of decision making and planning of physical education and school sport while increasing opportunities for pupils to take part.

There are now a record number of 673 schools in Scotland that hold a School Sport Award, meaning more schools than ever are putting sport at the heart of their school ethos. The number of gold-rated schools has increased to 284, a record high and a jump of over a third from last year’s total of 212, with 307 schools being awarded silver status and 82 bronze.