STAFF and students at a north Durham school are celebrating after securing the sponsorship it needs to apply for specialist status as a sports college.

Leading entrepreneur Sir Tom Cowie, who is backing the bid by Blackfyne Community School, in Consett, visited the school yesterday after pledging £35,000 toward the £50,000 sponsorship target.

If the application is successful, the school will be able to unlock a funding package of £500,000 - a £100,000 capital downpayment and £400,000 payable over four years.

The school plans to use an initial £150,000 to upgrade facilities such as the gym and sports hall and to provide ICT facilities.

As part of enhanced physical education, an excellence squad will be formed to involve students in training others.

Sir Tom, whose Sir Tom Cowie Foundation has helped several schools in the region achieve specialists status, said: "Consett has had hard times with the closure of the steelworks.

"Since then it has gone through immense changes and they need all the help they can get.

"Perhaps the Government should have done more to help. This is a way of making a contribution while at the same time extracting funding from the Government."

Acting headteacher Christine Parker said: "While the funding will be focused on PE and English, the purpose is to raise attainment throughout the school."

Head of PE Jamie Ward said: "We will offer a broad and balanced personalised learning programme, with every child's individual needs met. Everybody will do sports leadership awards and those people will take small groups of younger pupils at this school and partner primary schools and our partner secondary school -Villa Real - to run small festivals and competitions.

"We are also looking to set up an excellence squad where the most talented performers in the school are recognised for their achievements.

"They will wear slightly different uniforms and have ambassador status for the school.

"Using their expertise and experience, year ten students will lead coaching sessions and master classes for younger pupils."

Other contributors to the sponsorship were the James Knott Trust, which gave £5,000 and Blackfyne Community Association which gave £10,000.

Pledges from parents and money raised by pupils amounted to a further £2,000.