SCHOOLS across the region are celebrating becoming specialist colleges in a new round of Government designations.

Six schools from County Durham are among 11 in the region that will enjoy the status from September.

Specialist schools are given £100,000 to spend on a development projects and £129 per pupil for four years.

This allows them to offer extra opportunities by creating centres of excellence and sharing resources with community groups and other schools with similar interests.

Exam results show that schools with specialist status do better on average than those without.

Now, 27 of Durham's 36 secondary schools and special school Glendene, in Easington Colliery, have the designation.

Durham County Council's education director Keith Mitchell said: "The development of these curricular specialisms is important, both for individual schools and the whole pattern of schooling across the county."

Wolsingham School and Community College, in Weardale, persuaded a famous neighbour Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant to be patron of its performing arts college.

The Tyneside-born musician is giving guitars and sound equipment as well as cash to help it set up a community radio station, a dance studio, employ artists in residence and forge links with a school in British Columbia.

He said yesterday: "This is a very exciting initiative which I'm sure will prove a valuable investment in providing a brighter future for the dale."

Deerness Valley, near Durham, will use its position as the country's first Business, Enterprise and Technology College to build on a Fit for Employment programme, which recently caught the eye of Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Headteacher Anne Lakey aims to enhance ICT provision and establish a new innovation centre for pupils and partner primaries.

Headteacher of Staindrop Comprehensive School, in Teasdale, Brian Kinnair said the new business and enterprise status would be "a fantastic opportunity".

Moorside, in Consett, County Durham, will specialise in technology working towards excellence in technology, science and maths and enhancing community education.

Glendene headteacher Eric Baker praised the community effort that helped raise the initial £50,000 sponsorship for its new arts college.

He said: "This is important for us in terms of inclusion. It puts us on a par with specialist comprehensives across the county."

Bishopgarth School, in Stockton, is building a maths and community ICT resource centre.

King James 1 Community College, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, becomes a media arts college in its 400th year. Extra funding will develop a World Online Centre, a print and copy shop, a dance studio, art gallery and Radio King James.

Others in the region are Heworth Grange Comprehensive, Gateshead, arts; George Stephenson Community High, North Tyneside, humanities; St Benet Biscop Catholic High, Northumberland, business and enterprise; St Robert of Newminster RC, Sunderland, humanities; Aireville School, Skipton , sports; Filey School, technology; Holy Family Catholic High School, Carlton near Selby, maths and computing; Lady Lumley's School Pickering, sports; Pindar School, Scarborough, sports; Rossett School, Harrogate, maths and computing; St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate, second specialism in humanities; Upper Wharfdale, Skipton, sports.

John Tomsett, headteacher at Lady Lumley's School, Pickering, North Yorkshire, said the benefits of sports college status would spread to the wider community as sports facilities on the school campus become more available to the public.

The school raised £50,000 in sponsorship before it made the application and some of the £150,000 capital funding will go towards a fitness suite at the Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, in collaboration with the local education authority, Ryedale District Council and Community Leisure Ltd.

Paul Jackson, headteacher of St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, said: "We have set challenging targets to raise the standards of humanities at all key stages.

"In future years we're looking to broaden the humanities curriculum by looking at the classics, Latin, law and tourism and leisure."