A VILLAGE school has received a donation from a regional company to help its bid for specialist status.

Hurworth Comprehensive School, near Darlington, is moving closer to raising the £50,000 it needs to lodge a bid with the Government for specialist status in mathematics and computing.

If it is successful, the school will get extra money to improve facilities at the school for pupils and the community.

The total stands at £36,500, helped by a recent £2,000 donation from Northallerton car dealership Simon Bailes Peugeot.

Simon Bailes said: "We are delighted to be able to support such an important project, especially where the teachers and pupils have worked so hard to try to raise funds.

"As a successful, award-winning business, it is extremely rewarding to be able to share in and support the academic achievement and personal growth of the young people within our community."

Rita Rees, a teacher at the school and secretary of the parent teacher association (PTA), appealed for more firms to help the school raise the money by the October deadline.

She said: "We are delighted with the donation. Simon Bailes came to us after seeing some of our publicity and we only wish other companies would come forward as well.

"But many businesses don't want to support things that they believe the state should be supporting."

Pupils and teachers have been involved in fundraising schemes to boost the total, including sponsored sleep-overs and walks, bag-packing and an auction of promises.

The auction raised £2,800, and the school has also benefited from a £7,000 donation from the PTA.