AN enterprising Leigh school has joined the nation's elite.

Bedford High was this week named among just 217 schools to be given specialist college status for excellence in business and enterprise -- and the only one from Wigan borough on the latest list.

Staff at Bedford had to raise £50,000 in sponsorship and prepare a four year teaching plan for business and enterprise related subjects.

Bedford's new title also earns the school an extra £100,000 to spend on new buildings and a further £123 per pupil each year for at least the next four years.

Facilities at the Manchester Road school include a recently opened £1m science and community resource centre which is also used for business and enterprise and is at the centre of Bedford's state-of-the-art IT facilities.

Bedford has also won an Excellence in Work-related Learning title from Warwick University in recognition of how well it prepares pupils for life after school.

For school head Steve Preston the accolade was particularly significant because it was the second time he had achieved the honour for a Leigh school -- Westleigh High gained technology college status under his leadership.

A delighted Mr Preston said: "This is great news for the school and great news for Leigh. It shows people what we have known for a long time, that Bedford High has some of the very best facilities and standards of teaching.

"We have strong links with the local business community which we now hope to build on. Specialist school status is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication on behalf of the staff, pupils and everyone involved with Bedford

and I would like to thank them all."

Thrilled governors' chairman Albert Waterfield said: "Mr Preston and his staff thoroughly deserve this latest award."

Wigan's life long learning leader Cllr Brian Wilson said: "I'm delighted that the high quality of the work at Bedford has been recognised in their successful bid. It gives the school a real opportunity to move forward."