TWO schools are celebrating after gaining specialist status.
Honley High is now a specialist science college and St John Fisher Catholic High at Dewsbury has become a specialist sports college.
They will each get £150,000 initial Government grants to improve facilities and then a further £130,000 a year for four years to make themselves into centres of excellence.
Honley headteacher Alan Connor said: "We are very pleased. We have been working towards this for two years. Science is a strength for us, but we have to raise standards across the board. It's another four years of commitment, but it's a good deal for us."
Kevin Higgins, headteacher at St John Fisher, said parents of pupils had raised £20,000 towards the venture and support had been lent by Dewsbury firm Richard Alan Engineering and the Youth Sports Trust.
He added: "The school is very grateful for this support.
"The school has a reputation for serving its young people well. Academic standards are good and the acquisition of specialist status will enable it to continue to strive for excellence in all things."
To achieve specialist status, schools have to commit themselves to four years of improving their performance targets - not just in their specialist area but across the whole school.
They also have share their good working practices with other schools, as well as raising £50,000 to match the initial Government investment.
Kirklees Council Cabinet's member for schools, Clr Geoff Alvy, said: "This is tremendous news and a credit to the hard work and commitment of everyone connected with the schools."
Honley High and St John Fisher are among 219 new specialist schools.
This means the Government has achieved its target of having 2,000 specialist schools in Britain a year early.
Some 2,174 secondary schools in the UK now have specialist status.
In Kirklees, 19 of the 25 secondary schools have that status.
