An under-performing Birmingham secondary school has been stripped of its specialist school status by the Government.

Cockshut Hill Technology College in Yardley stands to lose thousands of pounds in extra funding gained through the designation under the drive designed to improve failing schools. Headteacher Richard Sloan said last night he would be appealing against the decision.

Ministers decided to act after the school fell into special measures despite benefiting from an annual cash boost of around £100,000 that goes with specialist technology status.

It is one of only 44 schools nationally out of a current total of 2,174 to have been deselected since the programme begun in 1994.

An Ofsted report on the school two years ago condemned " unsatisfactory" teaching at the school and found and a significant number of students underachieve".

Inspectors also criticised below average attendance and found a "significant" number of pupils misbehaving and not taking part in lessons.

Leadership was judged to be "unsatisfactory" and systems for monitoring and evaluating teaching were "inadequate".

Since then, repeat visits have failed to find enough improvement, resulting in the school being put into special measures.

Last year only 32 per cent of pupils gained the benchmark five or more A* to C at GCSE level compared to Birmingham's average of 51.2 per cent and the national average of 53.7 per cent.

Mr Sloan said: "The school has appealed against the decision to withdraw the specialism.

"The staff are working very hard and we are making improvements. We feel confident that with another Ofsted visit due next term and a good set of results predicted for this summer we will be able to reapply for the technology specialism."

A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said: "Specialist schools can be deselected if a school is not performing up to the required standard.

"Schools have a year in which to demonstrate improved performance before the decision is made."

Cockshut is not the first specialist school to lose the status. Heartlands High in Nechells also suffered the same treatment but has since regained it.

Coun Les Lawrence (Con Northfield), Birmingham's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "We at the LEA must now work with the school to ensure the right improvement team is there to assist it to begin to reclaim the specialist status."

Tony Blair is a passionate supporter of the specialist school movement to improve standards. To gain the status schools raise must £50,000 to back their bid from businesses and the community.

In return, they get about £100,000 from the Government for a typical-sized secondary to spend on a one-off capital investment. Schools get a similar amount over the next four years.