ST AUGUSTINE of Canterbury Catholic High School in Blackbrook has been nominated for coveted Beacon status.

Head teacher Peter Murphy has received a written confirmation from the Department of Education and Employment stating that the school had been nominated by the St Helens Education Authority to become a Beacon school, having met the necessary criteria.

Nominated schools must show a track record of high standards from which others can learn.

Mr Murphy told the Star that the school was currently working with the LEA and the Department of Education and Employment to devise a set of proposals in a bid for a series of grants for the school.

He also praised the work of pupils and staff at the school and added: "Of course, this nomination is the result of the hard work and dedication of everyone here -- it's been a real community effort. I believe that we were nominated for this award because we have achieved results that are higher than the national average and are located in a challenging area. Our strengths lie in English and literacy and we now hope to share these abilities with other schools in similar circumstances".

The Beacon school initiative is part of the Government's drive to raise the standards of education and is one of the main strands of the Excellence in the Cities strategy, in place in St Helens.

Beacon schools are those which have been identified as among the best performing in the country and are selected with a view to pass on their particular area of expertise to other schools. Thre aim is that, working in partnership with other schools, they are able to help them reach the same high standard.