A secondary school has been awarded specialist status as a language college.

Hove Park School will be given a Department of Education grant for the next four years to support teaching languages to the community.

It is the first in Brighton and Hove to specialise in languages and one of only 15 in England.

Meanwhile Dorothy Stringer school, Brighton, has been awarded specialist status for sport.

The award means Brighton and Hove has one of each of the four specialities - Varndean specialises in technology and Blatchington Mill in performing arts.

Hove Park already offers Japanese and Mandarin Chinese alongside French, Italian, Spanish and German.

Through a link with Brighton University, it plans to introduce some eastern European languages such as Russian, Czech, Hungarian and Polish.

A new building for adult and community learning will be developed at the upper school site in Nevill Road.

Head Peter Bratton said: "Gaining status as a language college will enable our students to take advantage of the widest possible career opportunities on both sides of the Channel.

"We will also be able to offer languages to the community and make our facilities available to other schools in the city including primary and special schools."

The school will offer adult education and training at low cost and small businesses will be able to take advantage of them.

Dorothy Stringer will be able to increase the number of sports on offer and open them up to other schools and the local community.

The school is getting a 900sqm sports centre under a private finance initiative bid by the city council.

A new fitness suite will be available to local people.