The School Standards Minister, Estelle Morris, has announced that by 2002 there will be 500 specialist schools in England, which will receive extra funding to become centres of excellence for technology, modern languages, arts and sports.

Estelle Morris says that specialist schools will help 'modernise the comprehensive principle'

"Specialist schools are a crucial part of the agenda for school improvement. The programme is about modernising the comprehensive principle.

"It allows schools to play to their strengths and to use a particular area of the currriculum as a focus for a rigorous approach to school improvement," the minister said.

At present, 330 schools have specialist status, including 227 technology colleges, 58 languages, 26 sports and 19 arts colleges.

The names of additional schools set to be given specialist school status are expected to be announced later this year.

Schools can be given specialist status for music and gain extra funds for tuition

The scheme, which was pioneered by the last government, provides state schools with extra funding to provide specialist teaching in a particular area of the curriculum.

This specialism is then intended to be a focus for improvements across the whole curriculum.

Schools wanting to participate have to produce a three-year development plan and raise £100,000 in private sponsorship, which the government will match for successful bids. Specialist schools also receive an extra £100 per pupil per year.

The government believes that specialist schools will also benefit children at nearby primary and secondary schools by sharing expertise and resources with them.