A school will be opening its doors to the public after a £200,000 Government cash boost.

Falmer High School in Brighton is to help educate adults and keep young people healthy during a three-year programme.

The Lewes Road school will gain "extended" status under plans announced by education minister Catherine Ashton yesterday.

As well as providing extra out-of-hours sport and art activities, parents will be invited into the school to learn new skills, such as information computer technology (ICT).

The school will also provide child, health and social care and study support for students.

Headteacher Stuart McLaughlin was delighted with the Government decision, which could see a wider choice of courses for the whole community.

He said: "The programme we are planning has four sides to it.

"The first is working with The Bridge adult community learning to extend the activities it offers by using the school's facilities.

"The second is a youth health drop-in centre open after school every evening. It will offer health and guidance for any young people in the area.

"The third is more child care.

"The school already has activities after school but we want to expand to more things after school and during the holidays. We'll be targeting eight-year-olds and above.

"This will involve working with the four primary schools in the area - Moulsecoomb, Coldean, Bevendean and Coombe Road. There will be activities based around learning.

"The fourth aspect will be sports and leisure, which is probably the least developed because we have things already running in the other three.

"We want the community to have access to our sports facilities."

Mr McLaughlin said improvements could lead to more vocational courses, like better kitchens allowing adults to study catering.

Baroness Ashton, who also granted the special status to Hailsham Community College, run by East Sussex County Council, said the experience of existing extended schools was positive. There are now 106 nationwide.

The minister said GCSE results in subjects with after-hours facilities have improved and parents have reported a "growing sense of self-esteem".

She said: "Extended services in schools can help improve pupil attainment, behaviour and motivation.

"They can help provide out-of-school study support to improve pupils' learning.

"Engaging pupils in new cultural and sporting activities has a knock-on impact on motivation.

"Joined-up services provide children and families with better access to a range of health and social services, when and where they need them.

"Schools are an obvious point for the delivery of childcare both before and after school.

"Parents become more involved in schools that provide extended services, which helps them support their children's learning. Schools providing services needed by local people become the focus of the local community and boost community pride and involvement."

Schools councillor Pat Hawkes said: "This is a visionary project that will deliver enormous benefits to a large number of children and young people and to the wider community in one of our most deprived areas."