A MASSIVE cash boost of more than £150,000 will help Weydon School to educate the scientists of tomorrow.
Staff, pupils and governors were celebrating this week after hearing that their school has been recognised by the government as a "centre of excellence" for science.
The prestigious award of specialist status means the school will receive a one-off capital grant of £100,000 from the government.
Annual funding of £123 per pupil will also be available to the school over the next four years.
The headteacher at Weydon School, Lynne Jackson, said she was "absolutely delighted" with the news.
"Science is a real strength at our school and we have all been working hard to get this status," said Mrs Jackson.
"We want to promote science as an exciting subject and to encourage pupils to continue their studies through to sixth form and beyond."
An enthusiastic Mrs Jackson added that the school's new message would be "science for life".
Weydon School is one of just five Surrey schools to be awarded specialist status this month. The government scheme, which was set up in 2002, is aimed to raise standards in schools by creating "centres of excellence" which will benefit pupils and the wider community. This was the second round for the scheme, and by September there will be 1,454 specialist schools in the country.
Of the capital funding awarded to the specialist schools, 40 per cent must be put into a community project.
Weydon School has chosen to set the cash aside for a "science for life" bus which will be taken out to local primary schools and other community groups for science workshops.
Mrs Jackson said the bus, expected to cost in the region of £60,000, will be equipped with computers and cooking facilities. It will also be used as a mobile classroom.
Before the school could gain specialist status it had to raise £50,000 through its own fundraising efforts.
Mrs Jackson explained that several local businesses and organisations and the school's parent teacher and friends association (PTFA) had been very generous.
The specialist status will take effect from September.