ANOTHER North Yorkshire school has taken an important step towards special status after securing the financial backing required from the local community.

Richmond School had to raise £50,000 in pledges by last Friday to clear the first major hurdle on the way to recognition as a centre for the arts - and a representative boarded a train for London with a formal bid, ready for submission that morning.

However, by then, both governors and staff already knew they had the financial support required to unlock further funding from the Government.

All they can do now is await the Department of Education's decision on whether the school will be included in the next batch to be awarded special status.

"We are very grateful for the generosity shown by the community," said deputy head, John Haslam.

"We now have to wait until December to see if the Government accepts the objectives we have set out in our application."

The money pledged to support the school's proposals came from local businesses as well as parents and friends.

If Richmond is among the successful schemes, then the cash will be invested in new drama and dance studios, including a rehearsal room for smaller ensembles.

The school also hopes to recruit two additional staff to bolster the arts department, allowing closer cooperation with its feeder schools, including St Francis Xavier, in Richmond, the town's Methodist and Church of England primary schools, as well as others in Reeth and Middleton Tyas.

The new facilities would also be available to Wensleydale School, in Leyburn, and Mowbray School, in Bedale.

"We would also hope to be in a position to encourage Theatre in Education programmes in partnership with others," said Mr Haslam.

Closer cooperation with the Georgian Theatre Royal, in Richmond, would also be among the main objectives.

"The theatre's management team is among those supporting us and we would hope to coordinate workshops and other projects with their involvement," said Mr Haslam.