PUPILS at Burnley's Ivy Bank High School are hoping to rival the nation's top DJs thanks to cutting edge radio technology.

The school is celebrating a triple first after becoming the first state-run school to run its own commercial radio station -- IBFM -- as well as installing a Myriad Automatic Play System and being the first organisation in Burnley to receive a national Queen's Golden Jubilee Award.

Development officer Michael Watson said: "I put in for this award back in October because I wanted to bring cutting edge technology to the student radio presenters.

"So far there have been 194 Queen's Golden Jubilee awards nationally but we are the first in Burnley to receive one. The award allowed us to get extra funding from the Awards for All grants programme which enabled us to buy the equipment."

Students got their first taste of presenting in October, 1997, and then in May, 1999, Ivy Bank got the first of three temporary licences to broadcast from 8am to 7pm.

Since last October the voice of Ivy Bank has taken to the airwaves every morning and lunchtime with presenters broadcasting information and news about the school and music to their school pals.