UPPER AVON School, in Durrington, has netted a top sports accolade.

The secondary school has just been awarded specialist sports status and will become a sports college from September.

In submitting its bid, staff had to complete an audit of strengths and areas for improvement, before producing a detailed action plan setting clear and challenging targets to be achieved within the next four years, as well as raising £50,000 towards a capital build.

Headteacher Rowena Brookes said: "Receiving specialist status will enable the school to further develop community links, improve facilities, achieve excellence in teaching and learning an encourage high aspirations among all students.

"We want every student to achieve high standards and feel valued for their individual skills and abilities."

The news comes just two weeks after Upper Avon became a hub school for the School Sports Co-ordinator programme (SSCO) - when two hours of high quality PE and school sport will soon be delivered to every child aged five to 16 in the country.

Upper Avon will be the lead school in a partnership involving Stonehenge School, Castledown School, Pewsey Vale School and St John's School in Malborough along with their primary feeder schools.

Upper Avon head of PE, Fran Ronan, said: "The SSCO programme, alongside sports college status will enable us to deliver high quality PE and sport and be a major influence in the physical and healthy development in young people, both in our own school and across the county.

"We are looking forward to the new innovations and challenges ahead."