Vicki Johnson on BBC News 24: "Best way to learn is from others"

Not only secondary schools are involved. Vicki Johnson, headteacher of Northwood primary school on the Isle of Wight, said she felt very fortunate to have been chosen. The school had been inspected at a time when it had probably the best teaching team she had ever worked with.

Chosen few: Pupils at Sir Thomas Rich's

None of the £50,000 she would be getting would be spent on her school - it would be shared out on the Isle of Wight to compensate teachers who were giving up their time to share their experience with others.

At Sir Thomas Rich's grammar school in Gloucester, the headteacher, Ian Kellie, said he was always happy to welcome any staff from other schools or students from university education departments to come and see how the school operated.

Ian Kellie: "Our doors are open"

Last year, 96% of pupils at the school entered for GCSEs got five or more passes at grades A to C.

Torquay Boys' Grammar School, whose strengths include the teaching of science and information technology, is another of the 75 schools to be awarded beacon status.

Its headteacher, Roy Pike, said: "We hope to be able to share some of our successful strategies as well as learning about the successful developments other schools are using."