TWO East Lancashire schools were celebrating today after being granted specialist college status.

St Bede's RC High, in Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn and Alder Grange High, Rawtenstall, will receive thousands of pounds of extra funding as a result.

St Bede's, now a sports college and Alder Grange, now a technology college, will officially receive the new titles and extra government funding from September.

St Bede's was inspected on December 16, when headteacher John Challoner vowed he would "try again and again" if the first attempt failed. But their bid was granted first time round.

He said: "I am absolutely delighted that we have achieved specialist status. This success is a direct result of a lot of hard work on behalf of the school and would not have been possible without the financial support of our major sponsors."

He now wants to see the college develop as a beacon for the involvement of the disabled in sport and plans are being drawn up for an artificial all-weather sports facility.

The Alder Grange announcement is another success for education in Rossendale, which already has several specialist schools, including Haslingden High School for the performing arts, All Saints, Rawtenstall, which has specialist language college status and Whitworth High for sport.

David Miliband, Schools Standards Minister, congratulated the schools for their "excellent achievement."

He said that there would be a strong community element to the developments, to allow all local people to benefit from the upgrade.

Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson, said: "This is really, really good news. This ensures that parents and children have an excellent and varied range of educational choices."

To make a bid, schools raise £50,000 from private sector sponsorship. St Bede's raised theirs in part from sponsors, including Blackburn Rovers FC, Fraser Eagle, The Lloyd Trust, The Professional Footballers Association and the Blackburn with Darwen Duke of Edinburgh Awards Council.

The status allows school to tap into a £100,000 capital grant and £123 per pupil per year for four years. Schools making good progress in meeting their targets can apply for extension funding for another four years.

Under Blackburn with Darwen Local Education Authority, four colleges now have the Specialist status, namely Queens Park Technology College, St Wilfrid's Technology College and Our Lady and St John Performing Arts College. Mount Carmel RC High, in Wordsworth Road, Accrington, plans to be next.