IT was bonjour, guten tag and ola this week to news that Hanley Castle High has been granted specialist language college status.

The school will receive around £600,000 over four years from September, after education secretary Ruth Kelly announced that it would become Worcestershire's fourth specialist language college.

The school's bid was judged on its overall performance and proposals to benefit the community.

However, it had to raise £50,000 in sponsorship to be considered, which it achieved with support from local companies and The Friends of Hanley Castle Association.

Deputy headteacher and bid co-ordinator Rob Johnston wants the school to broaden students' cultural horizons.

"We're taking the opportunity to create something really special for languages," he said.

A state-of-the-art teaching block at Hanley Castle High School will open in September 2007. The new building will be dedicated to language and music studies and will feature ICT (information communications technology) facilities.

Much of the specialist status funding will be spent on fitting the new block with the latest computers, software and technology.

The school will also run an international conference for students wanting to continue their language studies or pursue them in their career.

Spanish is being introduced alongside French and German and students will be offered even more opportunities to travel abroad, with a pioneering trip to China being planned.

The community will benefit from language courses and the new facilities will be used as a centre of excellence for language PGCE students from University College Worcester.

Headteacher Rob Haring is thrilled the school has achieved specialist status and believes it will benefit the pupils' all-round education.

"It's an indication that Hanley is a good improving school, with a very bright future," he said.

"The support for languages means current resources and funding will become available to benefit other areas."

The school will shortly appoint a Spanish teacher and a director of status, who will oversee the project.