DEERNESS Valley School at Ushaw Moor, has become the country's first business, technology and enterprise college.

It will receive £100,000 of Government funding to improve facilities, plus an extra £129 per pupil for the next four years.

It caps an outstanding year for the school, following a favourable Ofsted inspection report, as well as winning national Pathfinder status for developing pupils' job prospects in a Fit for Employment scheme, run in conjunction with the Esh Group of companies. This led to an endorsement by Prime Minister Tony Blair for the efforts of head teacher Anne Lakey and staff.

The new status will see the school's information technology equipment enhanced to state-of-the-art levels, with a new business innovation centre built on site, available for use by feeder primary schools.

Mrs Lakey said: "From 2005 we will continue to powerfully raise standards in school by building upon our clear strengths in technology and enterprise, as a specialist college. Students, staff and community are delighted by the difference this will make to the school."

County education director Keith Mitchell described the awards as, excellent news, building on the county's best-ever attendance levels and GCSE results this year.

Of the county's 36 secondary schools, 27 now have specialist status.