The £1.3 million block at the front of the school will accommodate seven new language classrooms as well as IT and media studies facilties.

The modern building was handed over to the school by contracters on Monday, March 8, and it is hoped that it will be kitted out and ready for students after the Easter holidays.

Deputy headteacher John Young said: "It has better facilities and it's newer so it will be better for students. It's much nicer."

Interactive whiteboards will be fitted in each classroom in the new block. A sound system has also been built in to help all students hear the teacher clearly without them having to raise their voice.

Disabled facilties have also been fitted as standard in the new block. There is a lift to the first floor and everything is at a level suitable for wheelchair users.

The entire modern language department, which teaches French, German and Spanish will relocate from temporary classrooms to the block when it is opened. The old classrooms will be refurbished and reused for another purpose.

The new building was part of a massive improvement project at the school, which also included new centralised modern toilets and a new reception. They were both opened earlier in the school year.

My Young said: "The toilets are more like a shopping centre than a school. It's much better. When the toilets aren't very nice often students won't go all day and it's not good for them. They're really happy about the toilets now."

Eco-friendly features have been fitted around both the new and old buildings during the improvement works. Ground source heat pumps have been installed in the new block to draw heat from underneath the building instead of using gas or electricity.

Automatic air conditioning and lighting have also been installed so power is not wasted when the rooms are not being used.

Heat for the water in the toilets is generated from solar panels on the roof, and recycled rainwater is used to flush them.

Mr Young said: "We're trying to make it as green as possible."

He added that the 1,500-strong student body seemed to appreciate the changes that were going on around the school, which has been open since 1973.