A school has launched an appeal for support to help its bid to be given specialist business status.

Marlborough School, in Woodstock, wants to be classed as a business and enterprise college under a new Government scheme encouraging schools to focus on particular areas.

If it is successful, it will be given extra funding of £500,000 over the next four years. However, it first has to raise £50,000 in sponsorship by March 15.

Deputy headteacher and project manager Julie Fenn said: "We have to show we have made contacts with local organisations and people are prepared to support us."

Ms Fenn believes the school is the only one in Oxfordshire to be seeking recognition in the business field.

Should it be successful, the aim is to develop courses in maths and information technology for sixth form pupils.

Younger children would be taught about how companies operate and given a degree of financial literacy to help them understand the world of business.

There would also be a strong community focus, with local businesses encouraged to work with the school, which wants to set up an open learning centre.

It would allow the school to offer specialist teaching for the business community and facilities for company seminars and other events.

Ms Fenn said: "The extra impetus we get from this project will improve standards in every subject.

"In science we will look at how scientific developments are used by organisations while languages such as Spanish and Chinese will be developed because of their importance in business .

"By developing these skills, I believe we can contribute to the economic success of the area."