15324/2ENTERPRENEUR, James Dyson, is helping Malmesbury School to celebrate its Special Status awards.

The official opening of the school as a Science and Performing Arts College took place on Friday.

Mr Dyson and Ian Bolden from White Horse Education Partnership, who both donated £25,000, were able to tour the school and see pupils' work.

Malmesbury School made history in June when it became the first in the county, and only the third in the country, to be awarded specialist status in both science and performing arts.

The school had to enter a gruelling 18-month-long bidding process to receive the award, worth £125,000 a year. The specialist status means a huge amount of Government and private investment in new facilities for the school.

Deborah Gray, chairman of the governors, said she was glad both Mr Dyson and Mr Bolden could attend.

"It was brilliant for Mr Dyson to attend. Without his financial help we would not have made it.

"Also the White Horse Education Partnership who donated the same amount.

"James Dyson was absolutely the right person to open the school. He comes from a background of creativity and engineering.

"He has the same type of approach we have and it is like we are singing from the same hymn sheet.

"He talked about making mistakes as a good thing because that's where you learn."

Ms Gray praised both Mr Dyson and Mr Bolden: "We are thrilled because it's much more difficult for a country school to get the big donations because we don't have as many employers and businesses as in cities.

"Without these two generous donations we would not have been able to move forward so quickly."

Mr Dyson said: "Malmesbury School's dual specialism in science and performing arts is providing students with the necessary ingredients to become well-rounded and creative individuals.

"Rather than being pigeonholed as either scientists or artists the young people of Malmesbury have the very exciting opportunity of being involved in both areas.

"After all, you can be just as creative in a laboratory as you can be on stage."

Mr Bolden, White Horse Education Partnership operations manager, said: "This is all about investing in our future with schools and buildings and money for specialist status.

"I was extremely impressed by the pupils and what was particularly impressive is they realized what the specialist college status meant."

Ms Gray said the school is currently looking to set up an astrology club and possibly build a planetarium.

As part of the award the school has had to set up links with the community as well as other schools in the area.

It has just appointed an arts and community officer to establish a youth theatre in the town.

The school has also started a new project which makes pupils put their thinking hats on.

The school has introduced the six thinking hats method, which has been used in top business for over a decade.

It provides a systematic framework that makes thinking more comprehensive and constructive. The school believes that learning the skills to become more effective thinkers and learners will benefit students outside school as well as in the classroom.

Harvey Freer, director of learning at the school, said the six thinking hats method was about trying to give the students a structure to make their thinking more effective. "This will give our students a great advantage in the school studies and the workplace."