The number of specialist schools in each year from 1997 to 2007 was as follows:
Number of specialist schools 1997 221 1998 304 1999 377 2000 513 2001 664 2002 972 2003 1,435 2004 1,945 2005 2,376 2006 2,607 2007 2,807
Around 86 per cent. of all secondary schools are now specialist and we are well on track to meet the target that 95 per cent. of eligible secondary schools should be specialist by 2008.