Northgate Special School needs to raise £16,000 in just a week if it is to become a designated specialist school in drama and performing arts, which would open up as much as £200,000 in Government funding.
It would become the first school in Britain for children with learning disabilities to be granted the funds in this subject, and one of only two in Northamptonshire to get specialist status, following Greenfields School, which has specialist sports status.
Head of drama Rachael Jeffery has appealed to local businesses to help them raise the cash. She said: "Drama at the school is one of the biggest thrills for our pupils, they really come alive when they take part in productions, plays and classes.
"But it is more than just putting on shows. The specialist status would help us give our pupils training for future vocational careers, for example in the technical side of theatre, lighting, or even front of house.
"At the moment our dining room acts as a drama studio which I have to share with the dinner ladies. If we got the grant, we would be able to develop our own studio and a proper stage which has wheelchair access, so all our pupils will benefit."
Other improvements would include raised seating for audiences and a multi-sensory area, which has proven advantages for children with autism. Teachers and pupils at the school, in Queens Park Parade, have so far raised £4,000 but need to raise another £16,000 by Thursday, March 8.
Miss Jeffery said: "If every business in the area donated just a small amount of money, for example just £50, it would all add up. I really think we could do it, and it wouldn't just be for our school.
"We would open up the drama studio to community groups and children living near by, and we also hope to invite children from younger special needs schools such as Greenfields and Fairfields to use it.
"This is a plea to businesses and people in Northamptonshire to support a really good cause."