WEST Craven High Technology College has successfully maintained its specialist status and extra funding until 2008.

The Barnoldswick school was granted specialist technology status in 2000, but it had to be re-designated this year.

Headteacher Arnold Kuchartschuk said he was delighted by the news, which means the former comprehensive will continue to receive an extra £100,000 a year until 2008 to dedicate to its specialist area.

Mr Kuchartschuk emphasised that none of this would have been possible without the help of businesses and industry within the area who raised money and helped to support the school.

To continue to be classed as a technology college, the school had to put together a curriculum vision outlining where and how the additional funding would be used to give students innovative lessons and build upon the developments already in place.

The school is set to begin piloting a new qualification called a DiDA, a diploma in digital applications, which can be equivalent to up to four GCSEs.

The qualification is designed to prepare students for the world of work or further education. A unique aspect is that all of the students' work is produced and assessed in a digital format rather than on paper.

There are no written exams on paper and the majority of the teaching and learning takes place on screen. Students will either be credited with a qualification that is equal to two GCSEs or, with additional work, four GCSEs.

"It is a very innovative and very useful course of study particularly for the working world," said Mr Kuchartschuk.

The second string to specialist status is that the school needs to develop a programme whereby the community around it can benefit from the additional facilities.

For West Craven, one area which the school will be focusing on is becoming an IT support centre for the community.

Mr Kuchartschuk explained that many people who had problems with computing often did not need to attend courses and would instead prefer to drop in and speak to someone.

The school is aiming to provide this kind of service for West Craven residents.

The school will also be working with Nelson & Colne College and Craven College, in Skipton, to act as a centre for their courses.

Mr Kuchartschuk added that the school would be happy to support local businesses who may want to use its facilities for training purposes.