A COUNTY Durham comprehensive school is celebrating after becoming the first in its area to be given Technology College status.

Dene House Comprehensive at Peterlee, which has 760 pupils aged 11 to 16, is one of only 24 across the country to be given the award out of 74 that applied.

It is the first school in the East Durham Education Action Zone, designed to raise standards, to achieve the coveted status.

The school raised £50,000 in sponsorship and will get an extra £100,000 from the Government, as well as a further £123 per pupil during the four years of the first phase.

The money will be ploughed into mathematics, science and design technology. The science laboratories will be completely refurbished and extra equipment and resources will be bought for maths and design technology.

Tony Jarvis, the senior teacher who prepared the bid, said: "We did not expect to achieve this at the first attempt. This is terrific news. It means so much to the future of the school and the local community."

Headteacher Elaine Hamilton said: "The new status will not only help us to raise standards in the school by offering a wider range of courses but will also help to prepare our students for the technological challenges of life in the 21st Century.

"We shall be able to offer evening classes in basic and intermediate ICT for parents and members of the local community.

"This really is a big boost for our area and I would like to thank our parents and generous sponsors who have helped us to raise the £50,000 to enable us to apply for technology status in the first places.''

The school's partner primary schools, Acre Rigg, Cotsford, Yoden, Eden Hall and Dene House, will be able to use Dene House's computers.