The Romsey School is celebrating this week as the government announced that it has been awarded specialist school status in maths and computing.

The new status means it will develop new maths and ICT courses, and help other schools in the area to develop their maths and ICT teaching.

Mr Warburton, headteacher, said: "This is really good news for the school. It means we are guaranteed additional resources until 2008 to develop these key areas. Not only will the pupils of Romsey School benefit, but so too will other pupils in the area."

Romsey previously shared special status as a language college with Mountbatten School. When the government decided joint status was no longer allowed, the two schools pursued different routes.

Mr Warburton said: "We feel that maths and computing are at the heart of the curriculum and this specialism will be supported by parents and pupils alike. The skills developed in these subjects are fundamental for the future, and they can be readily transferred to other subjects."

Additional funding will meanthe school, which already has six ICT suites, will soon be able to equip every classroom with at least one computer, and by 2007, 70 per cent will also have interactive whiteboards.

The school is also hoping to attract additional teachers in these subjects. Romsey is one of the first schools in the country to change specialisms.

Mr Warburton said: "We had to convince the government that we were a special case. When we were designated as a language college, the maths and computing specialism wasn't around, and we had to join forces with Mountbatten because two specialist schools in the same area were not allowed.

"Both schools have benefited from the partnership, but neither of us got full funding. Now we will be on an even footing with all the other specialist schools in the country, and it really should make a difference."