A BID by two Chippenham schools to become specialists has brought success and disappointment.

Sheldon School has become the first in Wiltshire and one of the first in the country to be named as a specialist science college.

But Hardenhuish School's bid to become a specialist college in maths and information technology was unsuccessful.

The winners and losers were announced by the Department for Education and Science last week.

Tony Cleaver, headteacher of Sheldon School, said: "We see our designation as a science college as a tremendous opportunity for pupils and for the whole community."

The school put in a 100-page bid detailing what it would do if it were awarded specialist status.

The extra funding, around £150,000 a year for three years, will pay for a new science laboratory featuring renewable energy sources.

The bid was backed by two major sponsors, the Chippenham Borough Lands charity and Westinghouse Rail Systems, which put up a total of £47,000.