ONE of Bexley's top schools has won its bid to become a specialist language college, netting £600,000 of specialist funding from the Government

The cash for Bexley Grammar School, in Welling, will enable it to expand the number of languages it offers and to provide state-of-the-art learning facilities.

Its bid was backed by the school's languages department and staff, governors and parents, especially because there are no other specialist language schools nearby.

The school had to raise £50,000 to finance the bid, which came from parents and other supporters of the school.

Now it will be able to create a new language laboratory; a cafe for roleplay and group work; holiday language classes for parents and pupils; language classes for businesses and joint language lessons with other schools in Bexley and Greenwich using video conferencing facilities

It will also finance the use of email and webcams to communicate with e-pals across the world and special international days.

In addition, all pupils will take two languages to GCSE level and sixth formers not doing a language at AS or A2 level will do a language-related course.

The grammar school will work in partnership with Fosters, Hook Lane, Danson, Days Lane and Westwood primary schools and Blackheath Bluecoat secondary school and well as video-conferencing with other Bexley secondary schools.

Spanish is being added as a GCSE subject from September and Cantonese introduced in an after-school club and can also be taken to GCSE level.

Head Rod MacKinnon said the news of his school's success was "tremendous".

Chairman of governors and former head boy, Bexley Council leader Councillor Chris Ball, added: "This is fantastic for the pupils and staff.

"Specialist school status is an exciting opportunity for the whole community."

July 9, 2002 12:00