Language teaching has been given a boost following the opening of two new college classrooms.

The 108,000 extension at King Alfred's Community and Sports College, Wantage, will replace a mobile classroom and is designed to improve teaching, learning and exam performance.

Cash for the classrooms on the college's west site, in Challow Road, came from the Government as part of a New Deal for Schools programme to replace outdated buildings. The rooms which took four months to build can each accommodate 30 pupils. They were opened on Tuesday by the deputy mayor of Wantage Jane Hanna.

The new rooms will be used for teaching French and follow the recent appointment of two new language teachers.

The college's assistant principal Simon Spires said: "This has given us a great opportunity to improve the working environment for students and staff on the site, which is very important."

King Alfred's College has plans to abandon its present three-centre structure and move to a new single-site campus within five or six years.

But Mr Spires said the classrooms were vital for the short-term.