A heavily over-subscribed school has had its long awaited million pound extension opened.

Schools standards minister Stephen Timms formally opened the extension at Longhill High School in Rottingdean yesterday.

The new teaching block, with six classrooms, a drama studio and a music practice room, brings the capacity of the secondary school up to nearly 1,200 pupils, aged between 11 and 16.

It marks the end of a £3 million school building programme at the school, which is in Falmer Road.

Mr Timms, at the official opening of the block, said he was impressed with the spacious and airy feel of the building.

He said: "The environment in which children learn is an important part of raising standards in education. This is why the Government has trebled the amount of capital investment in school building in the past four years."

Mr Timms toured the block with headteacher Geoffrey Ellis, Brighton Kemp Town MP Des Turner and local councillors before unveiling a plaque.

He said he was particularly impressed with the new drama studio.

He said that drama skills and public speaking were an important part of life "especially in a job like mine".

The school always has more applications than places and each year some pupils are disappointed that they can't get in.

The school has been recognised as one of the 25 most improved schools in the country.

Last year it achieved GCSE results which were above the national average.

The new building, which has been built in stages, has helped relieve some of the accommodation problems.

Longhill, which has a successful sports record, is now planning to build an indoor sports hall to compliment it sports fields.