Ilkley Grammar School has achieved Specialist School Status.

The good news was revealed yesterday and the school is now celenbrating the success of its October bid.

Having had a first application turned down, the bid to become a Science- Humanities College will now see the school achieving £150,000 in initial funding as well as annual extra funding of around £166,000.

A delighted head teacher Gillian James said yesterday: "We knew we had a challenging and innovative plan, and we were cautiously optimistic, but it is still marvellous to know we have successfully cleared some rigorous DfES hurdles.

"A great deal of hard work went into the application and I am especially grateful for the commitment and imagination of Ian Gasper, deputy head, who co-ordinated the plans, and the head of English, Karen Jones, head of science, David Luxton, and Mark Rignall, who was acting head of maths, as well as their teams. "

Becoming a Science - Humanities Specialist School from September commits the Grammar School to particular developments in science, English, maths and ICT, and to curricular and community links with local primary schools and Greenhead High School in Keighley.

Mrs James added: "We can now realise some of our ambitions in developing teaching and learning, and achievement across the core subjects and across the whole curriculum.

"I would also want to thank again all those who sponsored us and and who kept faith with our vision, and in particular to the anonymous donor who generously funded more than half the necessary £50,000 to allow our application to go forward twice."

Ilkley Grammar School has changed much in the last few years. The number of pupils went up by 50 per cent when Bradford education authority changed its three-tier system of primary education to two tiers.

There are now 1, 500 youngsters at the school, which saw a major extension completed last year to bring both the lower and upper school onto the same site.