WOOLSTON High School, which will be closed down in 2012, has been awarded a specialist status for its work in science.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families gave the school the accolade to recognise its excellence in the area.

Head teacher Jill Robinson said the school had to prove it had at least three years of consistently good exam results, particularly in science and maths, and submitted a plan of action designed to raise the profile of the subjects.

Extra funding gained through being awarded the status will pay for extra teaching for gifted and talented pupils and themed days including a crime scene investigation day and a Dragon’s Den event where pupils can put scientific theories into practice.

The school will work with nearby schools setting up science zones including wildlife habitats, weather stations and investigation trails.

Deputy head teacher Alasdair Kesson, who coordinated the bid, said: “Science college status will give our pupils access to the latest equipment and resources.

“We will also be able to fund more educational trips and visiting speakers to bring science and mathematics alive.”

Helen Jones MP said the decision showed that Woolston High School should not be shut down.

“The awarding of specialist school status to Woolston High School shows that it has made significant progress,” she said.

“Congratulations to all at the school who have worked hard to secure this status.”

She added: “It is unfortunate, to say the least, that the Lib Dems and Tories have decided to close a school good enough to achieve specialist school status.”

One of the chief reasons for the closure was that Woolston’s exam results were worse than rival Padgate High School’s, a statistic highly contested by those in support of the Holes Lane school.

Falling enrollment rates were also cited by the council.

Last September councillors on the executive board voted to close Woolston High School rather than Padgate High School to address the problem of falling birth rates.

Padgate High School, soon to be renamed Lysander High School, is a specialist school in technology and arts. It is now the closest high school for most Woolston families.

William Beamont High School, the other main choice for parents in Woolston, has a sports specialism.