A SCHOOL in Tottenham where pupils speak a combined 64 languages is determined to continue to make progress.

Among other languages, students at Woodside High School, in White Hart Lane, Tottenham, speak Punjabi, Russian and Tagalog, a language spoken in the Phillipines.

Eighty per cent of pupils at the comprehensive speak English as an additional language.

At its last inspection, conducted by Ofsted in 2007, reported: "The ethos in the school has improved considerably so the school is now a harmonious community in which all students, regardless of their background or need, work together and respect each other."

The school’s headteacher, Joan McVittie, agreed that multiculturalism was "a huge enrichment for the school".

She said: "We have children here who speak five or six different languages. They are incredibly gifted."

Huge efforts to integrate Woodside High have been launched by Mrs McVittie in conjunction with London Challenge.

Set up in 2003 by the Department of Schools, Families and Children, London Challenge aims to provide support and boost improvement.

Mrs McVittie stressed the "significant investment" they have placed in the school.

Over the past year, London Challenge has funded the participation of 40 Woodside High staff on an 18-week training course.

This has developed their understanding of how to adapt lessons to new arrivals who may not be proficient English speakers.

Silvain Wiles, national specialist in English as an Additional Language (EAL) for London Challenge, also visited the school to speak to staff and pupils.

Two teaching assistants will soon be trained to become specialists in teaching English with an additional language.

Mrs McVittie said: "London Challenge has given us a huge amount of support."

Results have been steadily improving since Mrs McVittie arrived at Woodside High in 2006.

"As a result of these changes, the teachers are really, really keen to see the children achieve well and the children have been just superb as well.

"We will be clearing our floor targets this summer.”

Floor targets are designed to bridge the gap between standards in more deprived schools and the rest of the country.

Although Woodside High just missed this year’s floor targets, Mrs McVittie said she was determined to reach the goal set for 2009 of 30 per cent of students receiving A*-C GCSE grades, including maths and English.

The different languages spoken by Woodside High Pupils include:

Akan

Albanian

Amharic

Arabic

Bengali

Bengali (Sylheti)

Bosnian

Bulgarian

Creole French

Chinese

Croatian

Czech

Dutch

English

Farsi

Filipino

Flemish

French

Greek

Hungarian

Igbo

Italian

Kiswahili

Kurdish

Lingala

Lithuanian

Luganda

Panjabi

Pakhto

Pashto

Persian

Polish

Portuguese

Romanian

Russian

Serbian

Shqip

Somali

Spanish

Swahili

Tagalog

Turkish

Twi-Fante

Urdu

Vietnamese

Wolof

Yoruba