THE Government is being urged to change its funding rules to allow for the redevelopment of a high-performing school.

Durham Johnston School in Durham City regularly achieves some of the best A-level results in the country and is much sought-after by parents.

But the school is split into two sites two miles apart that have ageing buildings which no longer meet modern requirements.

Durham County Council wants to build a replacement school on one site and hoped to access the Government's £2.2bn fund for secondary school upgrading and renewal.

The county council has drawn up a list of schemes for schools throughout the county, but it cannot include Durham Johnston School because the Government's rules give priority to schools in areas officially designated as deprived.

Headteacher Richard Bloodworth said one part of the school operated in buildings more than 70 years old, and the other was built just after the Second World War.

One site has 14 demountable classrooms, staff have to travel between the sites and the school has to duplicate some services. Half the pupils at the school come from deprived wards, although the school is not designated as being in a poor area.

"It's fair to say that there are schools in a far worse situation than us but their buildings are significantly better than ours and they'll get money first," Mr Bloodworth said.

He said a review of the system would be fair and he was delighted that the council and the city's MP were arguing for a rules change.

Durham County Council cabinet member for education Councillor Neil Foster, said: "The great difficulty that both the school and we as an education authority face is that although we regard its problems as being high priority, the Government's criteria will not allow them to be addressed under the scheme.''

The city's Labour MP, Gerry Steinberg, said he would be pressing the Government to relax its rules and fighting to get the school on the list of schemes.