A TWELFTH Southampton school has now achieved specialist status, paving the way for more government money to raise standards.

Chamberlayne Park School, which has 951 pupils, has been designated a performing arts specialist school and is now set to receive a £100,000 government grant.

The school is also in line for increased funding per pupil during the next four years after successfully raising £50,000 as part of its government bid.

Assistant head teacher Simon Davies said the school's new specialist status complemented its extended schools status, which offers youngsters a chance to get involved in plenty of extra curricular activities.

"In terms of our out-of-hours activities our pupils are very keen on getting involved and always come up trumps in dance, music and drama.

"Hundreds of students take part in our school productions and examination grades are always highest in these subjects."

Once the school officially takes on its new status from September, work will begin on a new theatre on the school site.

Closer links will also be developed for pupils to work on community-based art projects.

Mr Davies said specialist status would help drive up standards across the curriculum by helping to improve pupils' confidence and self-esteem.

"The performing arts specialism encourages youngsters to develop many transferable skills such as their creative thinking, their ability to plan and teamwork skills."

Mr Davies will accompany head teacher Richard Hilary to a conference in London next Tuesday to officially accept the designation.

Chamberlayne Park is one of 16 schools across the south-east to have gained specialist status this week.

Congratulating the schools on their achievement, minister Jacqui Smith said: "The specialist programme is at the heart of the transformation in standards that we have seen in our secondary schools.

"Performance of specialist schools is higher than in non-specialists and we have a duty to empower all schools to reach these high standards."