A ROSSENDALE high school has been given a huge cash boost after being granted specialist college status.

Fearns Community High School, in Stacksteads, is to become a specialist sports college.

The school had to raise £50,000 to support its bid and will now receive a cash injection of £100,000 to provide facilities.

Headteacher Mark Smallwood, who has been working on the bid since he took over the school two years ago, said the money will be spent on building a new movement hall for sports including competition trampolining, martial arts and dance.

The new facility, which will also include a hi-tech sports science room, will be an extension of the community sports facilities already available at the school.

Some of the funding for the movement hall and sports science room, which is expected to cost in the region of £500,000, will come from the Bacup and Stacksteads Single Regeneration Budget.

Mr Smallwood said he was delighted that the school had won specialist status.

He said: "We have been working on this for two years so this is great news. The support we have had from parents, governors and the community has been overwhelming, particularly in terms of fund-raising.

"There will be lots more opportunities for pupils coming to Fearns and for the community. This will make the school a real focus of community activity in terms of sport.

"It is also encouraging for us that the Government believes we are a good school to become a specialist school."

Mr Smallwood added: "What I like about sports is that it is something that all children can aspire to take part in and it brings communities together.

"Our school motto is 'further, faster, higher' because we are encouraging our pupils to go further, run faster and reach higher, not just in sport, but in everything they do."