Pupils with computer technician Tom Muir at Burnholme Community College

Teachers and pupils at two York secondary schools were celebrating today after they were given the educational stamp of approval for their work in science and technology.

Archbishop Holgate's CE School and Burnholme Community College have become schools affiliated to the Technology Colleges Trust, after passing rigorous inspections by the trust.

They had to show partnerships with outside organisations and involvement in the community and had to reach the trust's standards in the management and teaching of science and technology.

The Techology Colleges Trust has already created two "colleges" in York - at Huntington and Joseph Rowntree Schools - which means the schools get extra cash for science and technology as their specialist areas.

As affiliated schools, Archbishop's and Burnholme will be entitled to the support of the trust in curriculum development and will work in close partnership with the two schools and other specialist colleges across the country.

Christine Prentice, from the trust, said one of the things the inspectors had found was that Archbishop Holgate's and Burnholme were already working with Huntington and Joseph Rowntree through the City of York council's Schools Learning Together project.

Both schools are also taking part in a project called YSTAMP, where two groups of GCSE science students have worked with many different local businesses on science and technology projects which are aimed at boosting exam results and the students' confidence.

Tony Gavin, deputy head at Burnholme, said: "We are obviously delighted. It acknowledges the efforts of the staff and the students and the whole community ethos of the college. There has been tremendous commitment and this is our reward.

"This has given us great confidence. Our GCSE results this year were ten per cent better than the previous year and there is a real buzz around the place."

John Harris, head at Archbishop's, said: "This is a very exciting development. It brings us into the information network and lets us look to the future with confidence. It is a very forward-looking organisation."

The affiliated status means both schools have leapt the first hurdle to achieving Technology College status, should they want to apply for it in the future.

Mr Gavin said that the college was still trying to gain sports college status and was hoping to make a leap in that direction by getting a sports mark award by January.

"We are in the current round of applications for the sports mark award and are hoping to use that for moving forward towards sports college status."

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