US Microchip billionaire Bill Gates has given his personal seal of approval to a Bradford school's innovative web site.

Buttershaw Upper has been named winner of Microsoft's Road Ahead Prize after judges agreed its science web pages were the best secondary school internet site in the country.

And this week head of science Vernon Levy and former pupil Noel Hustler - who helped design the site - jetted off to the Expo '98 exhibition in Lisbon to accept a cheque for £10,000 from the computer mogul himself.

Buttershaw's interactive science web site is split into four sections - reviews, themes, science and communication.

A virtual lab lets pupils carry out their own experiments on screen, testing everything from energy levels to reaction times.

Pages are devoted to sports science and a visitors book lets pupils develop links across the globe. And a virtual homework planner will follow.

The Microsoft Road Ahead prize is a two-year programme aimed at encouraging innovation and creativity on the internet.

There were 200 plus entries to this year's competition, submitted by individual students and class groups from across the country.

Mr Levy said: "I am still in awe at getting the prize from Bill Gates. We have been designing web pages for a while and when we saw details of the Road Ahead competition we thought it would be a great opportunity to put forward our own content.

"We wanted to create an interactive web site that demanded use from the public and which was inspirational and innovative.

"We want to put information technology at the seat of learning and believe winning this competition will take us one step further to achieving our goal."

Head teacher John Hull said: "The key thing is interaction - if children are to learn from the Internet they have to interact with it. This win is great news for the school, although we have yet to decide what the money will be spent on."

l For all your schools news and information visit the T&A web site on www.thisisbradford.co.uk

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