Four schools in Plymouth have been awarded specialist status by the Department for Education and Skills.

Hundreds of schoolchildren across the city look set to benefit from extra resources and innovative teaching as a result of the status being granted.

Sir John Hunt Community College has learned that its bid to become a Sports College has been successful. Stoke Damerel Community College is to become a Mathematics and Computer College, John Kitto Community College has been granted Business and Enterprise Specialist status and St Boniface's Roman Catholic College was given Science status.

The Specialist Schools Programme helps schools, in partnership with private sector sponsors, to establish distinctive identities through their chosen specialisms and achieve their targets to raise standards. The status is also supported by extra Government funding.

Specialist schools focus on their chosen subject area but must meet National Curriculum requirements and deliver a broad and balanced education to all pupils.

Each school had to submit a bid and raise £50,000 from the private sector in order to qualify for money and the status under the programme. An initial £100,000 has been awarded to each school and providing they meet set targets, they will be able to access more money every year.

Sir John Hunt Community College Principal Mike Larner said: 'This is excellent news. These funds will enable the college to build a dance studio as well as take on additional staff to work with local schools and the community. It is all the more pleasing as it comes on top of a recently awarded £600,000 grant to extend the School Sport Co-ordinator Programme in the northwest of the city.'

He added: 'We intend to raise standards across the board in school and become a focal point to promote excellence in physical education and community sport. As well as serving youngsters we want to be able to share our expertise with families and the local community.'

Carol Hannaford, Principal at Stoke Damerel Community College was delighted their bid had been successful. She said: 'We are really thrilled. We believe that numeracy is such an important skill in school, in the work place, higher education and beyond.

'The computer aspect will touch every department and help teach youngsters in a more exciting and hi-tech way. We aim to create what we call Martini learning - any time, any place, anywhere.'

The funding will enable them to buy laptop computers, train staff to raise attainment levels and introduce subjects such as statistics at A level. The school also intends to work with the local community to promote numeracy.

John Kitto Community College will be transformed into Business and Enterprise Specialist College, the first in the city.

Principal Jean Gledhill said: 'We are thrilled to bits. This new status will enable us to get additional staff and develop new ways of looking at how we can prepare students for life in the world outside.'

Among the raft of measures planned is a new building, extending the curriculum to include business and enterprise-related qualifications.

Councillor Dennis Camp, Portfolio Holder for Schools and Colleges, added: 'The success of these bids is not just down to senior staff at the schools. All the staff, pupils and families of youngsters who attend these schools have put in an enormous amount of effort to raise the sponsorship needed to get the bids off the ground. They should all feel immensely proud of what they have achieved.

'Local businesses should also be applauded for getting so involved in their communities. We look forward to the next successful round of bids.'

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