North gets new specialist schools

Nine schools in the north-east of England have been named as part of the largest ever round of newly-created specialist schools.

A further nine schools in the region are to be among the first to named as Leading Edge Partnerships.

School Standards Minister David Miliband said schools on Tyneside, Wearside, Teesside and in County Durham, would receive the new status.

Schools bidding for specialists status have to raise £50,000 in sponsorship and put together a four-year development plan for raising standards in all subjects.

If successful, they receive a grant of £100,000 plus an extra £123 per pupil per year.

They can select up to 10% of their pupils by "aptitude" for their specialist subject.

Leading Edge Partnership Schools

Beaumont Hill, Darlington

Lord Lawson, Gateshead

St Thomas More, Blaydon

McMillan Centre, Middlesbrough

Nunthorpe School, Middlesbrough

King Edward VI, Morpeth

Cramlington Community High

St Joseph's RC, Hebburn

Whitley Bay High School

Nationally, 245 more schools will become specialist in September - the largest ever from one round.

This means that by September 46% of pupils in maintained secondary schools will be taught in one of 1,454 specialist schools.

All new Leading Edge Schools receive £60,000 a year for an agreed programme of activities that develops and promotes collaboration and innovation.

Mr Miliband said: "We are replacing the old one-size-fits-all system with tailor made learning, built around the talents and needs of every child, to ensure that every child will get the individual attention they need and deserve.

"Specialist schools are central to this radical reform.

"The record number of applicants this year proves that there is strong support for specialist schools throughout the system and there is a wide range of evidence showing how specialism is improving opportunities for pupils.

"Specialist schools are part of a mass movement to raise standards.

Specialist Schools

Tanfield Comprehensive, Stanley

Ormesby School, Middlesbrough

Acklam Grange, Middlesbrough

St Thomas More High, North Shields

Southmoor School, Sunderland

St Cuthbert's, Newcastle

Thornhill School, Sunderland

St Aidan's RC, Sunderland

Kepier School, Houghton-le-Spring

"The individual ethos and specialism of a school is vital, as schools build a centre of excellence, and use that specialist excellence and ethos to raise standards across the board.

"The Leading Edge Programme takes the process a stage further."

The government has defending its specialist schools programme as a way of improving standards.

Applications for specialists status have risen by 35% over the last year and the programme is now "inclusive and all-embracing", according to Education Secretary Charles Clarke.

He said: "Specialist schools are making a difference, as are the best non-specialist schools, but we must not be complacent, more can be done."