JAMES is practising rolling his 'r's for the first time. Together with his classmates Jac, Sophie and Clare, he has just had his first Spanish lesson. They are

relishing their school's new-found status as a specialist college and the way in which foreign languages - even Mandarin Chinese - is going to touch every aspect of school life.

The school is Hanley Castle High, near Malvern, and it is the latest institution to be given specialist language college status by the government.

These 11 and 12-year-olds have just had their first Spanish class with a new teacher paid for with the kind of money that only specialist status can bring.

Jac, who, like his friends, benefited from a special scheme where he learnt French or German at one of Hanley Castle's feeder primary schools, is enthusiastic about the new information flooding his brain: "Spanish seems easier because you don't have the accents on letters like in French."

"I agree," says Clare. "The only problem is I can't really roll my 'r's."

These sort of discussions would be unthinkable in some schools, particularly now the government has made learning a language at GCSE level optional.

"That will not happen here, and never has," says the school's dynamic headteacher Robert Haring.

"Languages aren't just for GCSEs, they are for life. Specialist status will enable us to teach both French and German in Year 7 and introduce Spanish as a second language.

"This is so important because of the global economy and anybody who speaks a second language will be far better placed. Secondly, we want our young people to be not so inward looking or insular and, as they experience other cultures, they will become more rounded people."

These are, of course, good intentions, but the real secret is that pupils across the school will become better at languages and more culturally aware, even when they don't realise it. In Mr Haring's words, they will be "immersed".

For instance, a forthcoming sports exchange to Hungary and a ski trip to Austria will ostensibly be about playing games and having fun but the education experience in foreign countries will contribute far more than that.

And a new building is set to see several more classrooms devoted to both languages and music - unusual bedfellows until you learn that the latest Christmas carol concert was performed in three languages. It is that 'immersion' again - learning foreign tongues when you least expect it.

Most secondary schools in the Worcester area now have specialist status, including Christopher Whitehead, in St John's, Worcester, which is also a language college.

Those in charge of Hanley Castle are delighted their bid was accepted by the government at the first attempt but realise that it is only the beginning of a long road.

Only this week the government warned that schools will have to meet tough new GCSE standards to retain their specialist status.

Sir Cyril Taylor, the chairman of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, said: "Why should schools get extra funding if they are not meeting minimum requirements?"

That is the challenge, says Mr Haring: "This is just the start. The aim now is to make languages come alive." And it seems it is working.

"If you ask most students at other schools they either learn French or German," says Clare. "Here we get to do both, and Spanish, and that's a great choice."

A CHANCE TO SOAK UP SOME CHINESE

HANLEY Castle wants to use its language status to pioneer the teaching of Mandarin Chinese.

Many education experts are forecasting the demise of some European languages in our schools, just as German, and believe the future lies in Chinese, as that economy grows.

The headteacher of Hanley Castle, Robert Haring, is to go to visit a school in Yangzhou in China in April to cement links.

"Fifteen pupils will then go to China on a two-week exchange, which, at that age, is an amazing opportunity," he says.

"I hope it will make them appreciate their freedom here and realise what a small country we are. Our plan is to deliver Mandarin as long as we can make it sustainable by perhaps getting a teacher from China over here."

The language is also now being taught on Saturdays at Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College in Worcester.

The headteacher there, Sean Devlin, said the school had teamed up with the Worcestershire Chinese Association to offer the course.

"China is the fastest growing economy in the world and our young people will be involved with Chinese businesses in future years," he said.

BLACKBOARD

A-level maths is now much too simple, say teachers

A MAJOR row has erupted in schools over reforms which many teachers believe have 'dumbed down' A-level maths, according to a report from the Government's exams watchdog.

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority study said many 16-year-olds turned their back on maths because they believed the subject was too difficult.

A-level maths had become the preserve of "a clever core" in recent years but attempts to make the subject more accessible have split the teaching profession, the research found.

Some teachers said they were shocked by the changes to maths A-level, which came into force in September 2004. Others felt the new A-levels helped all students to succeed.

The QCA reformed maths A-level in 2003 in an attempt to make it more popular after exam entries slumped. The changes meant sixth-formers could do four AS-Level units and only two of the harder A2 modules and still get a full A-level. Other subjects required three of each. At the time of the reforms the QCA denied it was making the exam easier.