HEYWOOD Community School, Cinderford, is celebrating news from the Department for Education and Skills that it has achieved Sports College status from September.
Heywood becomes only the fourth Sports College in the whole of Gloucestershire and the first in the Forest itself.
Sports is one of a range of specialisms available to secondary schools. The bidding process is highly competitive and requires the submission of an extremely detailed and comprehensive four-year development plan which is closely vetted throughout the application process.
As a result of its new status, Heywood will receive additional funding of £150,000 towards a capital project (£50,000 raised by sponsorship) and £123 per pupil per year.
The school plans to use the bulk of its capital allowance to completely remodel and refurbish its changing rooms and to improve and extend the hardcourt area for sports such as tennis and netball.
It is not only students at the school who will benefit from the new facilities and curricular opportunities. At least one third of extra funding has to be spent on the 'Community Plan' and other Forest secondary schools and local primary schools will also see massively increased opportunities to participate in a range of activities both during the school day and in 'out of hours' programmes.
Head teacher Ken Bush said: "This is absolutely fantastic news for the school and the local community. The Cinderford area already has a rich sporting tradition and Sports College status will be a natural vehicle for us to raise standards of achievement and increase participation in educational and leisure activities still further.
"It is important to stress, too, that Sports College status is not just about sport. We expect to see the school improve in all areas of the curriculum and students to achieve 'personal bests' in every aspect of their lives.
"I am very proud to be the head teacher of a school with such a tremendous future ahead of it."