A HIGH school was celebrating today after winning coveted arts college status.

Our Lady and St John RC High School, Blackburn, will become the first focus for excellence in dance, drama and music in Blackburn and Darwen.

Meanwhile, in Burnley, Ivy Bank High School was named as one of the first business and enterprise colleges in the country by Education Secretary Estelle Morris.

Specialist colleges are hand-picked by the Government after schools have prepared bids for the extra funding the designation attracts.

Our Lady and St John headteacher Michael Humphreys, who retires at the end of the summer term, said: "I am both delighted and regretful. Delighted that the school can now go on to be even more successful in the areas of dance, drama and music.

"But regretful that as I am retiring at the end of this school year I will not be able to see my vision of Our Lady and St John as a performing arts college come to fruition under my headship.

"We have a wonderfully dedicated staff in the school and I am sure that under the leadership of the new headteacher our students and the members of our local community we will be supporting will all go on to great achievements.

"This is a great honour, not only for myself but the whole school and the whole of Blackburn with Darwen."

Art colleges have been set up in towns throughout the country.

Blackburn with Darwen Council's director of education and lifelong learning Peter Morgan said: "The school has a strong reputation for a vibrant performing arts curriculum.

"This designation as an arts college will help develop this work further as well as provide a resource to other schools in the community."

Ivy Bank High School in Burnley is set to become one of only 18 business and enterprise colleges in the UK.

The school will now develop a curriculum aimed at preparing its students for successful careers in business and commerce.

Headteacher Stephen Ball said: "We're all absolutely thrilled. The investment that the Government will now make in the school will enable us to deliver an exceptionally ambitious programme of improvement that will benefit the whole community and contribute to the regeneration of the town as a whole."

Education Secretary Estelle Morris said last week she wanted to see a "new comprehensive ideal", where specialist schools fostered "a culture characterised by high expectations, collaboration and innovation."

Staff at St Bede's RC High School in Blackburn are busy preparing a bid to be designated a specialist sports college early in 2003.