Everyone gets byte of high-tech centre

The specialist tag the Government has awarded Beckfoot School comes with nearly £1 million in extra money which it will use to kit itself out with state-of-the-art computer technology.

Now the school has revealed the new facilities will be available for the rest of the community to use on a regular basis.

Deputy head teacher, Janice Farrell, said: "The idea is that we are going to get fantastic facilities which will not just be for Beckfoot students but for anyone who lives in the area. People will be able to use equipment that they couldn't possibly buy.

"We are looking at how we can provide a better service for the community. We think it is a shame and a waste that some schools close their doors after 3pm everyday."

At the centre of the school's planned community facilities will be its new learning resource centre. Being built as part of the Bradford schools shake-up, it is expected to be open by next spring.

Ms Farrell hopes the centre can become the equivalent of "the town libraries we used to have". She expects it to stay open until at least 8pm every weekday and possibly at weekends as well, depending on demand.

And with at least 30 computers with Internet access, there will be more on offer than just shelves full of books. She hopes the technology will be used by local business as well as a variety of community groups.

Athletics club Bingley Harriers supported the school's original bid for specialist status and president Derek Green said he was excited about Beckfoot's plans for the future. He said he could see the club wanting to use the school's new facilities in the future as technology became more important in athletics.

He said: "The fact that they are involved in change and looking ahead tells us all we need to know about the school's attitude.

Primary schools near to Beckfoot also stand to benefit from the school's technology status. Ms Farrell said primary pupils and staff could be invited to use the facilities.