ELEVEN North-East schools, including six in County Durham, will be designated as specialist schools today.
They will focus on raising standards in their chosen subjects and develop centres for excellence.
To do this the Government gives them £100,000 for a capital project to improve facilities and an extra £129 per pupil for four years.
Deerness Valley Comprehensive, near Durham, becomes the only business and enterprise and technology college in the country, while Glendene, in Easington, is Durham's only special school with specialist status.
Wolsingham School and Community College, in Weardale, County Durham, chose to focus on performing arts and persuaded Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant to be patron.
King James 1 Community College, in Bishop Auckland, chose arts, Staindrop Comprehensive, in Teesdale, went for business and enterprise and Moorside Community College, Derwentside, opted for technology.
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; Bishopsgarth School, Stockton, maths and computing; St Robert of Newminster RC, Sunderland, humanities.
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