A DARWEN school has won specialist status in engineering and is already planning its first project - helping build a school in Africa.

Darwen Vale High, in Blackburn Road, has become the seventh school in the borough to receive specialist status.

It raised more than the required £50,000 and submitted a bid to the Secretary of State showing how it would raise standards overall, boost achievement in engineering and benefit the wider community.

Delighted headteacher Lynn Dunning said plans to put the status into practice were already in the pipeline, ranging from setting up engineering apprenticeship for pupils to helping an African secondary school design and build a primary school with facilities for early years learning.

Confirming the African plan, due to start in September, Mrs Dunning said: "Working with partners in Africa to provide a new school would be a fantastic opportunity for Darwen Vale pupils to see their learning having a real impact and effect in the world and really put into practice the many different elements of engineering." After forging links with the school, the Darwen pupils will work and consult their African counterparts on the design.

Eventually the school hopes to set up an exchange programme so pupils can help and see the school take shape first hand.

Work on a sculpture park for the use of other schools and the community will also begin next year and the school intends to begin astronomy and science clubs and engineering lessons for local primary school children.

The bulk of the engineering work will be carried out in a designated room in the school's technology block which will be expanded with new specialist equipment and new computer technology.

Mrs Dunning added: "Part of our new status also means sharing our skills, facilities and ideas with the community so we will be working on that too. It's all very exciting.

"We chose engineering as the area has an engineering tradition. We will be able to build on these traditions and combine them with new technology and methods to enrich the curriculum across the school."

Local employers will be offered the chance to use the school's facilities for learning and their staff will be encouraged to work with pupils in school and create apprenticeships for young people who are interested in engineering as a career.

l Seventy-six per cent of all schools in England now have specialist status, including 74 in Lancashire.