STUDENTS at a high school in Rossendale are to sample Mandarin and Japanese after the school was awarded prestigious language college status today.

All Saints' RC High School has become the first school within the Salford Diocese to be awarded the status, the first in East Lancashire and only the third educational establishment in the county to become a language college.

Deputy headteacher of the 590-student school Mike Vizzard said: "We think it is important in the 21st Century to be able to communicate with people the world over and this status means we will be able to prepare our students for life in the global community. We will be providing people with skills for life.

"The major difference for the school will be that we can now offer increased opportunities for our students and also for students in our family of schools which includes the Rossendale Catholic partner primaries, Alder Grange High and Tor View and our sixth form partners St Mary's College, Blackburn, Holy Cross, Bury and Accrington and Rossendale College." Mr Vizzard will be responsible for the implementation and delivery of the status and work has already started with the appointment of a new specialist French and German teacher.

Building work will start at the school in September because governors gave the go-ahead for the language facility to be developed -- whether the school got the status or not. Headteacher Mike Brennan is currently recovering at home following a minor operation. He said: "It is wonderful news and I am grateful to the governors and and staff for their hard-work which has led to us achieving this prestigious acknowledgement." Financially the school will receive a one-off capital grant from the Department for Education of £100,000 which will pay for refurbishment and cover the cost of the new build. In addition £50,000 was raised by the school and its sponsors and partners to secure the bid and over the next four years the school will get £70,000 to £75,000 per annum -- 40 per cent of which will be spent on projects for the community.

Already the school runs a successful Italian for Business course in conjunction with the footwear community, the Italian consulate and funded by a local charity. It operates every Friday afternoon once the footwear industry closes for the weekend.

Representatives of the school will attend Manchester Town hall tomorrow to find out if they have won a North West Languages for Export award. Mr Vizzard said: "We already offer French, German and Italian and we will be looking to develop Spanish and also offer taster courses in Mandarin and Japanese."