SIX more secondary schools in Hampshire and Southampton have won specialist status, the government has announced.

Woolston School has been successful in its bid to become a specialist language school while Cantell School in Bassett is to major in mathematics.

Hounsdown School in Totton and The Westgate School, Winchester, will specialise in science while Neville Lovett Community School, Fareham, will focus on mathematics and computing and Purbrook Park School, Waterlooville, will specialise in languages.

The schools will receive an additional £100,000, as well as increased funding per child for four years. The cash will be used to raise standards in their specialism as well as share their skill with neighbouring schools and the community.

It means almost half of Hampshire's secondary schools are now specialist, along with four in Southampton.

Each school has had to raise £50,000 from business sponsorship to fund their application.

Cantell head teacher David Burge said: "This award gives us the confidence in our vision for the future and in the way we will move forward to achieve our expectations."

Hampshire County Council's executive member for education, Councillor Don Allen, added: "All of the schools which have attracted specialist status are to be congratulated on their achievements.

"The designation reflects their success in a particular area of study and I welcome the extra resources to enhance the capacity of these schools to develop specific areas of the curriculum and to share that with other schools."