Two schools in the region have earned a new status and tens of thousands of pounds to use research to boost teaching quality.

Notre Dame High School, in Norwich, and Littleport Community Primary School are two of 11 schools in the country to be announced as research schools.

The new additions, which will join another 11 announced over the last year, will be given £200,000 over three years to show teachers how they can use research evidence in the classroom. All 11 are in areas identified as coldspots for social mobility - a measure of how a person improves their life chances.

Work completed in the research schools scheme so far includes encouraging schools to make the most of teaching assistants, training to support early years literacy and using research evidence in lessons.

It will see Notre Dame work with the University of East Anglia (UEA) and many of the area's schools.

MORE: Notre Dame and Lionwood Infant awarded national teaching school status

Brian Conway, executive headteacher at the school and chief executive of its St John the Baptist Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, said: 'We are delighted and honoured to have been designated as a research school for Norwich and look forward to working with all Norwich schools and the Norwich opportunity area partners as we move forward.

'The UEA school of education and lifelong learning has provided crucial support for our plans and will be invaluable in the future.

'There are many schools in Norwich who have supported and guided our proposal for a research school and we are excited about how we can develop the use of effective research to further improve teaching and learning within the opportunity area.'

The research schools - formed under a joint initiative with the government's opportunity areas programme, the Education Endowment Foundation and the Institiute for Effective Education - were unveiled by education secretary Justine Greening on Thursday.

Earlier this month, Notre Dame - along with Lionwood Infant School - was granted national teaching school status to push up standards around the county.

• Do you have an education story? Email lauren.cope@archant.co.uk