HEALTH and fitness are at the top of the agenda for one York school, which was this week celebrating the news that it had been handed more than £1 million to revamp its sports facilities.

Oaklands School, in Acomb, which was last September named a sports college, won the cash from the Big Lottery Fund and Sport England.

The money will go towards a massive building project, including the creation of a new dance studio, climbing wall and fitness centre - as well as modernisation of a synthetic football pitch.

Deputy head teacher Gavin Cowley said the school hoped to encourage pupils who would not normally enjoy sport to take part in a wider variety of outdoor pursuits, such as dance and climbing.

"We feel that they are ideal vehicles for getting some of the children involved in sport who wouldn't normally be," he said.

"It allows us to target marginalised groups like young women - a lot of them are anti-competitive sport."

Work on the new sports facilities is due to start in the autumn, with completion expected by September 2005.

Updated: 11:23 Wednesday, July 14, 2004