PUPILS at a Preston high school are set to be the first in the area to attend a specialist sports college.

Tulketh High School, Tag Lane, secured its bid after raising £42,000.

The Department for Education and Skills rubber stamped the school's bid and put £100,000 toward the development.

Now other local schools are hoping to follow suit and vying for the same specialist college status next month.

Tulketh's successful bid follows the appointment of headteacher, Bill Hill, a former deputy head at Worden High School, Leyland -- one of the schools hoping for college status in March.

The Ingol school has now built a state-of-the-art fitness complex for five partner schools and residents.

When it opens on Friday, February 21, the multi-million pound facility will have an indoor recreation area and bar. Outside there will be four, all-weather and five-a-side pitches.

Mr Hill said: "We are delighted to be the first to achieve sports status in Preston and South Ribble, but I think there's room for another school to achieve it as well."

The latest round of bids means that, nationally, 38 per cent of schools are now specialist.

Brownedge St Mary's, Station Road, Bamber Bridge and Worden High School, Westfield Drive, are also hoping to gain sports college status.

Headteacher of Brownedge St Mary's, Dr Larry Hugh, said: "We have raised the £50,000 needed and we'll be submitting our bid in March. If we're successful then we'll be opening as a sports college in September."

David Tilston, headteacher of Worden High, said: "We are confident about our bid in March although we still have about £10,000 to find."