THE Heath school has won a massive cash grant after MP Derek Twigg stepped in to right a bureaucratic wrong.

The Runcorn school missed out a School Achievement Award after a poor Ofsted report.

But since then the school has made a huge improvement under new head Phil Mather.

Halton MP Mr Twigg got the decision reversed after writing to David Miliband, Minister for Schools - winning £24,190 in prize money for the school in the process.

The awards had been made on the basis of the 2000 Ofsted reports but the school felt this did not reflect their progress since then.

Concerned

Mr Twigg, said: "The school contacted me because they were quite concerned that they should lose out.

"This was a bureaucratic anomaly, the school has made fantastic progress and these awards are meant to recognise high achievements."

While the 2000 Ofsted report was poor, the 2002 Ofsted report praised the 'dramatic rise in GCSE results in 2002'.

Mr Twigg passed on the school's frustration at the decision to Mr Miliband and he ordered a review, and the school was finally been awarded the money.

"It is well deserved and reflects the hard work of staff who have brought about significant improvement in the school," said Mr Twigg.

A Halton Council spokesperson said: "We are delighted that the school has been given the award and it represents deserved recognition of the hard work and commitment of staff, at the end of a year when it achieved technology school status."