Norfolk has moved closer to a clean sweep of specialist schools after a south Norfolk high school launched a bid to become a sports college.The new headteacher of Old Buckenham High School said he hoped to address years of underinvestment in sporting facilities by achieving specialist sports status.

Norfolk has moved closer to a clean sweep of specialist schools after a south Norfolk high school launched a bid to become a sports college.

The new headteacher of Old Buckenham High School said he hoped to address years of underinvestment in sporting facilities by achieving specialist sports status.

Old Buckenham and Hamond's High School, in Swaffham, are currently the only two high schools in Norfolk that do not have a specialism.

Governors, staff, and pupils at Old Buckenham High have begun a �50,000 fundraising campaign to unlock more than �100,000 of government funding to become a specialist sports college in September.

Peter Whear, who was appointed headteacher last month , said the school's sporting achievements and the London 2012 Olympics had inspired the specialism.

'Sport is central to the school's ethos. Our GCSE results in PE are consistently good, the quality of teaching and learning is excellent but above all, the students enjoy and excel at the subject.'

He added that the school's sports facilities needed modernising.

'The gym was built in 1938 and the school has not seen any significant development since. We have quite good outside facilities and a reasonably sized playing field, but in general they are not as good as they should be because of years and years of underinvestment,' he said.

Martin Ungless, chair of governors, added: 'We know the students are capable of wonderful things because amongst other things, our GCSE results have been improving rapidly over the past three years. A specialism in sport will now put Old Buckenham High School firmly at the heart of the local community.'

Companies and sporting organisations that want to get behind the bid can contact Mr Whear on 01953 860233 or email

head@oldbuckenhamhigh.norfolk.sch.uk