Two schools were celebrating winning specialist status today.

Celebrating - St Helena pupils Madison Clay, Martin Youngs, Laura Dearsley, Martin Brambley, Yolanda Leask and Keshav Ramphul. Picture: ROB SAMBROOK 40724-1

St Helena School, in Colchester, is one of a just a handful in the country to get special media and communications status after staging a two-year bid to become a centre of excellence for the arts.

Honywood School, in Coggeshall, won its bid to become a specialist science school.

St Helena will get £620,000 in the first four years and the chance for repeat funding.

Honywood head Simon Mason was delighted that its bid was accepted at the first attempt.

More in today's Evening Gazette

Published Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette