A HIGH school is bidding for £600,000 of Government cash to put it at the forefront of science teaching in the district.

King Charles I School, Kidderminster, hopes to be awarded specialist school status which would give it the massive cash boost to be spent over four years.

Head of biology Dr Nigel Collins said: "This is very exciting. We expect to hear if we have been successful in June ready to start up in September."

Among the proposed developments is a £150,000-plus science centre which would be built during the first year of the new status.

It would also allow the school to offer a bigger range of courses to its own pupils and the wider community in science and maths and to improve links with local science and engineering-based industry. King Charles I students Alicia Conway, Sean Hinton, Amrik Singh and Katrina Bragg check out enzymes during a science practical.

Other developments would include running bursaries, master classes and community projects.

The school has almost reached a £50,000 target, which has to be achieved to go along with the submission to the Department of Education and Skills.

The money has been raised through donations from local companies, trust funds, parents and fund-raising by the Parent Teacher Association.

Science has been a strength of the school for a number of years and Dr Collins said the specialist status was a natural progression.

"We wish to build on this strong foundation to develop science across the school and its community and raise achievement at King Charles I and its partner schools," he added.

A spin-off of the proposed new science centre next to the school garden will be the possibility of offering gardening courses in conjunction with Pershore College.