MATHS has topped the agenda at a Blackburn high school after it launched a bid to become a specialist college.

Pleckgate County High School in Pleckgate Road wants to become the first Maths and Computing college in East Lancashire.

And today Robin Campbell, who has been head teacher since September, urged the local business community to come forward and back the bid to raise £50,000 by October.

If the money is raised then the school will benefit from 12-times as much from the government - at least £123 per pupil for the first four years and a one off capital grant of £100,000.

So far 14 high schools in East Lancashire have opted to bid for Specialist College status, competing for titles ranging from technology, performing arts and sport to business and enterprise.

Mr Campbell said becoming a maths specialist would tap into the schools' strengths.

It is hoped the bid could help tackle a growing crisis in maths education revealed in a government-backed inquiry into post-14 education.

He said: "We feel it is one of our best attributes and we have always had a very strong and forward-thinking maths and ICT department.

"We are working on the bid at the moment and want local businesses, parents and governors to come forward and help generate sponsorship.

"There is a lot of money at stake and we desperately want to take things forward."

East Lancashire teaching unions demanded radical action earlier this month to improve the provision of maths in the area after a report by Prof Adrian Smith revealed Curriculum 2000 had made a "bad situation worse" by dividing A-level maths and overlooking maths as a life skill.

Nationally, as of September 2003, 46 per cent of pupils in maintained secondary schools were taught in one of 1,454 specialist colleges.

The Specialist Schools Programme was launched in 1994. St Hildas in Burnley became the first specialist Humanities college in East Lancashire when its bid was approved in January this year.

If Pleckgate's four year development plan is successful, it will be expected to spend the money to develop maths and computing expertise.

Pupils from local primary schools will also benefit from closer links with the high school.