A HIGH school in Burnley, named as one of the first specialist business and enterprise colleges in the country, held a special breakfast meeting to review its first year's work.

Ivy Bank has spent the first 12 months of its new status planning a major re-design of the school uniform and logo and planning a new business centre, which will be built on the school site over the summer.

Once the business is up and running, each student will be a shareholder and there will be a board of student directors.

Guests, including local businesses who supported the school's bid for special status, confirmed last July, attended the event at the Oaks Hotel, Reedley Road, where they were given an of outline the school's plans for the future and the work of the past year.

Projects over the past year have included a monitoring scheme for students where they have been trained by traders from a London trading house via video link.

Business co-ordinator Mike Watson said: "The first year has been very busy and we wanted to keep the businesses who have supported us up to speed with what is happening and to say a big thank-you. None of this would have been possible without them."

Specialist colleges are hand picked by the Government after schools have prepared bids for the cash the designation attracts.

Ivy Bank has developed a curriculum aimed at preparing its students for successful careers in business and commerce. It will receive £600,000 of extra Government funding over the next three years for more staff and resources to make it one of only 18 in the country providing a focus for entrepreneurial excellence.

Ivy Bank had to prepare a four-year development plan and raise £50,000 in sponsorship from the local business community.

Burnley's business community pledged £50,000 to support the bid and is involved in delivering the plans.