OFFICIALS and governors have said they will look at all possibilities for renewing the buildings at a comprehensive school.

Durham Johnston School, one of the country's best-performing state schools, is on a split site two miles apart and its ageing buildings are deteriorating.

Durham County Council has just submitted a £150m wish-list of school improvements under the Government's Building for the Future initiative.

But the Government plans to target funding on schools in deprived areas and Durham Johnston does not fall into that category.

The county council and the school's governors plan to explore other avenues for the funding needed to build a modern school on one site.

The council's cabinet member for education, Councillor Neil Foster, said: "It's recognised on all sides that the buildings situation at Dur-ham Johnston School must be rectified at the earliest opportunity.

"The buildings are already in a poor condition and will only deteriorate further and faster without a radical, permanent solution.

"We have agreed with the governors to investigate, as a matter of urgency, all possible school replacement and single-site possibilities.

"We've also agreed that we will explore all funding routes for the major capital investment needed to provide the full buildings solution that the school requires."

"Inevitably, we're disappointed that the needs of the school could not be met by Buildings Schools for the Future arrangements, but it's clear that significant funding for a new building on one site could not happen under that policy for many, many years.''

The council has been working with the city's Labour MP, Gerry Steinberg, and governors chairwoman Roberta Woods to have the school included on the priority list.

Mr Steinberg said: "For the first time in many years, I am now confident that we can seriously undertake the process of the modernisation of Dur-ham Johnston School."