SOUTH Craven School could be in line for a £1 million cash boost.

The school could benefit from the extra government funding if it is successful in its bid for specialist technology status.

New deputy head, Graham Turner, is overseeing the bid, which will be in partnership with Upper Wharfedale secondary school, and five of the feeder primary schools. These will also benefit from the additional facilities.

If successful the school could boast its new status from September 2002.

Mr Turner said: "What will happen is that across the curriculum, students will be taught in the most up-to-date environment that it is possible to provide.

"Teachers will inevitably be trained to the highest possible degree in terms of using this technology appropriately."

Pupils from Upper Wharfedale, Silsden's Hothfield Street primary school, and the county primary schools in Steeton, Sutton, Glusburn and Cowling will form a 'family of schools' which will be able to use the new facilities, resources and staff.

Mr Turner added: "We are aiming for seamless continuity between primary and secondary education, even though they are moving from one building to another."

Not only will local primary schools benefit, links with local businesses will be strengthened and the facilities will be available for training staff and lifelong learning.

Mr Turner added: "The proposals which are sent to central government have to be collaboratively designed.

"What we are aiming for is anywhere, any time learning. What I can see is that four or five days a week the school will be open from eight in the morning until 10 at night.

"The school will become the very heart of the local community."

The school needs to raise £50,000 for the bid but is being assisted by the Ogden Trust, a Lancashire charity which has provided half the money and the services of a marketing consultant.

The first draft of the scheme will be completed by January, with the bid going in to the Department for Education and Skills by March.

It takes about six weeks to process and the school is then inspected before a decision is made. The money will come to the school over four years.

The school is also forging links with a school in New Mexico which has similar status and links with companies such as Intel.

However the school's ambitions do not just lie in technology. A similar bid for specialist sports status is also in the pipeline.

Mr Turner explained why the school chose technology as its first step.

"We felt that we already had a good tradition here with good quality teaching within technology, good resources.

"We have had students in the past who have been very successful in the subject and won several awards," he said.

When asked about children who are better at other subjects, he said that would not make a difference.

"This won't mean kids will not be able to come here. What we are trying to do is make the school as good as we can make it.

"What we are talking about is the quality of teaching and learning, and ways of making that better across the school.

"This will establish the school and partner schools as centres of excellence within the region so the more areas we can demonstrate we are a bit of a flag ship for, the better."

A meeting for parents, teachers and local businesses to explain the proposal an answer questions is to be held at the school on October 31 from 7pm.