Another 36 secondary schools in England have been given "specialist" status, bringing the total close to 500.

The School Standards Minister, Estelle Morris, announced there would be another 22 schools specialising in technology and 14 in modern languages.

These schools, which will provide advanced teaching in their specialisms, receive an extra �100,000 from the government and �120 per pupil for four years.

To qualify for these extra funds, the school has to find sponsorship funds of �50,000 and to present a development plan and higher targets for pupil achievement.

There will now be 480 specialist schools, spread across 86% of local education authorities in England. The minister said there are plans for 800 specialist schools by September 2003.

"It is not just about easily measured outcomes," said the minister. "There is also an impressive ethos in specialist schools. They are characterised by good leadership, high expectations, concentration on teaching and learning, target setting, quality control and innovation."

The announcement has received cross-party support. During education questions in the House of Commons on Thursday, the Liberal Democrat education spokesman, Phil Willis, expressed his party's backing for the scheme.

And Conservative MP Nick Hawkins said that specialist schools could help pupils, teachers and governors to build up particular strengths.

The new schools are:

Technology

The George Farmer School
Holbeach, Lincolnshire
The Hereford School (joint status)
Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire
Western School (joint status)
Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire
Birchwood High School
Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
Fakenham High School & College
Fakenham, Norfolk
Parmiter's School
Watford, Hertfordshire
The Duchess's Community High School
Alnwick, Northumberland
Heaton Manor School
Jesmond Park West, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Walker School
Walker, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Rainford High School
Rainford, St Helens
Rivington and Blackrod High School Horwich
Bolton
West Craven High School
Barnoldswick , Lancashire
Wade Deacon High School
Widnes, Cheshire
The Trinity School
Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Southam School
Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Ripon College
Ripon
Parkside Community School (joint status)
Devonport , Plymouth
Tamarside Community College (joint status)
St Budeaux, Plymouth
Westfield School
Weymouth, Dorset
Whitstone Community School
Shepton Mallett, Somerset
The Wyvern Community School
Eastleigh Hampshire
St Wilfrid's RC High School
Featherstone, West Yorkshire

Languages

Montsaye School
Rothwell, Northants
Notre Dame High School
Norwich
The FitzWimarc School
Rayleigh, Essex
The Harwich School
Harwich, Essex
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School
London Hummersknott School
Darlington, County Durham
Wirral Grammar School for Girls
Bebington, Wirral
The Mountbatten School (joint status)
Romsey, Hampshire
The Romsey School (joint status)
Romsey, Hampshire
Clevedon Community School
Clevedon, North Somerset
Hele's School
Plympton, Plymouth
Highcliffe School
Highcliffe, Dorset
Sir Thomas Rich's School
Longlevens, Gloucester