Weymouth schools are extra special (From Thisisdorset)

Weymouth schools are extra special

11:40am Wednesday 4th March 2009 in News By Harry Hogger

TWO Weymouth secondary schools are celebrating specialist status success in a major boost for education in the borough.

All Saints School has been awarded a second specialism in languages while Budmouth Technology College has just been awarded high performing specialist school status, meaning it will also be able to apply for a second specialism.

All Saints was awarded specialist status in science four years ago and, as of April 1, will officially boast a language specialism as well.

Headteacher Tim Balmforth said: “At the end of last summer we received a letter from the Department for Children, Schools and Families informing we would be redesignated as a high performing specialist school.

“One of the consequences of that was the invitation to apply for a second specialism.

“We chose to apply for languages as it is a strong working area in the school and we are keen to encourage our children to study a modern foreign language.”

Mr Balmforth added: “The high performing school status reflects the hard work done across the whole curriculum and our decision to go for languages as a specialism was a response to a strength in that area and what we feel is important for the children’s education.”

Budmouth principal David Akers said he was ‘delighted’ to be informed that his school, which has been a specialist college for 10 years, had been given high performing specialist school status.

He said: “That puts us in the top 30 per cent of schools nationally and it also enables us to take on a second specialism.

“We are still talking about the alternatives for the second specialism, we want something that will continue to broaden our curriculum and give more opportunities to our students.

“We are really excited about the prospect of starting our new specialism in September this year and building on the success of recent years.”