Education minister Malcolm Wicks visited a school celebrating news of a £2 million Government grant yesterday.

Bishop Bell School, in Priory Road, Langney, was awarded the money to carry out a massive expansion and improvement programme.

Head teacher Terry Boatwright has unveiled plans of how the school will look when the work is completed.

If planning permission is granted, pupils will have new classrooms for English, computer and technology lessons, modern languages, humanities, fitness, dance and music.

The money will also create an extra 140 places for pupils.

The library will be refurbished, a new reception built and automatic fire doors installed throughout the school.

Mr Boatwright said he was looking forward to seeing the expansion work in progress as it would mean the school could accept hundreds more students over the coming years.

He said: "The meeting went really well and Mr Wicks was impressed with us. It's wonderful we've been awarded the grant as it's going to make so much difference to the school.

"In the last three years we've been over-subscribed but hopefully this will sort out the problem."