A NEWLY-APPOINTED Darlington headteacher is hoping to gain extra status for his school.

Dean Judson took over as headteacher of Hurworth Comprehensive School on Monday - the same day the school adopted a new name, Hurworth School Maths and Computing College, to reflect its specialist school status.

Mr Judson, who has worked at Hurworth since 1996, plans to seek Leading Edge status for the school and an Investors in Children award.

"What we have been doing at the school over the past few years is unique," he said. "We have become a specialist school in maths and computing and joined a federation in which we will work alongside Eastbourne School.

"I feel that the school presently stands in a position where it is at the leading edge of education. I want to make Hurworth one of the best schools in the country."

Mr Judson, from Newcastle, has taken over from Eamonn Farrar, the new chief executive of the Hurworth and Eastbourne schools federation.

Hurworth achieved record GCSE results this summer with a 70 per cent pass rate for A* to C grades.