CONEY Green Technology College got a very welcome surprise at its prizegiving evening on Thursday.

Guest of honour, Bury South MP Ivan Lewis, announced that the Government will provide £200,000 to support its amalgamation with Radcliffe High School next year.

The two schools have already been federated to prepare for September's merger, which looks likely to result in a brand new state of the art secondary school for the town.

In fact, Mr Lewis said: "I am optimistic that we will be able to make an announcement about the new school in the near future."

"The new school would be the jewel in the crown, not just a school in the traditional sense, but a centre of community activity. A focal point for family learning at the heart of a new Radcliffe, driving commercial, housing and community regeneration."

The prizegiving evening was a poignant occasion for Coney Green as it was the last time it would be presented under that name.

Executive headteacher Diana Morton said there was an air of excitement about the very real prospect of a new school, describing it as a "reward" for everyone who has worked hard for the good of Radcliffe and who wants continuing and improving success for the town's children.

But since it was the last ever presentation evening for Coney Green's upper school, it was only right that Mrs Morton reflected on the school's past. "Coney Green has a history of which it can be proud," she said. "The successes of the past will be remembered and built upon."

She thanked everyone for the support they had given the school since it opened in 1975 and singled out Colin Jones, chairman of the governors, for putting Coney Green at the centre of his life over the years.

Mrs Morton said the school was extremely proud of those pupils who left this summer.

"This year group did better than had been predicted when they were younger. The LEA target for five or more A*-C grades was 31 per cent, so to achieve 37 per cent shows a remarkable number of students performed well above expectation. The school's reputation is high and this is evident in the growing number of parents who make Coney Green their first choice for secondary education."