A NORTH-EAST school yesterday celebrated becoming the first in a programme that will see scores of crumbling secondary schools given a new lease of life.

Money has been awarded to Oxclose Community School, in Washington, Wearside, as part of Sunderland City Council's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) bid.

Funding for the project has been granted ahead of schedule by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

Almost £9m has been granted for the transformation of the school, with contractors expected on site in August.

The first work to be undertaken at Oxclose will be a new block for performing arts.

Headteacher Mike Foster said: "We are delighted to be in the first wave of Building Schools for the Future.

"This is a once-in-a-career opportunity to redesign the school for the needs of our students for the next 30 years.

Cabinet member for education Councillor Pat Smith said: "This excellent news means we can make an even earlier start on the programme mapped out in our bid.

"It will be specially welcome in Washington, which is now leading the way with Building Schools for the Future."

Durham County Council is in wave three of Building Schools for the Future.

A county council spokes-man said: "The DfES has recommended that authorities in wave three prepare their case for consideration for funding between now and March 2008, when information about funding is likely to become available.

"It is therefore too early to say exactly what amount Durham will be allocated and too early to say which schools could benefit."