A HEADTEACHER has spoken of his delight at his school becoming a specialist technology college.

The status has been awarded to Westhoughton High School by Education and Skills Secretary Charles Clarke after a successful campaign by the school during which it raised £50,000 in private sponsorship.

The school is now planning to install a wireless computer system and every student joining the Sixth Form in September will have full use of a school laptop computer to support their learning anytime and anywhere, whether at school or at home.

Headteacher Brendan Loughran said: "One of our main aims of the last 12 months has been to gain Technology College status and we achieved it at the first attempt, reflecting the effective school improvement strategies of the last few years."

The school will officially become a specialist college in September. It will receive a one off capital grant from the Government of £100,000 plus an annual grant of £129 per student over four years.

To earn the status, the school had to draw up a community plan to raise standards, increase provision and encourage take up in the specialist subject.

Mr Loughran said the new status would enable them to provide additional learning opportunities for the whole of Westhoughton.

The head added: "We will also further develop the links that we have with our family of local schools."