PEWSEY Vale School is bidding to become a specialist language college, it has been revealed.

Deputy headteacher John Cranfield, who manned a display setting out the the school's objectives at a major village exhibition on Monday, said the new status would improve pupils' language skills across the ability range.

It would also improve the school's links with the community, which would be welcome to share Pewsey Vale's resources, and other schools, he said.

The school display was one of the features of The Event, an exhibition sponsored by Kennet District Council and Wiltshire County Council which attracted hundreds of villagers to the Bouverie Hall.

It was designed to give villagers the chance to have their say on how Pewsey develops and visitors were asked to fill out a questionnaire on local facilities such as affordable housing, transport, policing and services for the elderly.

There was entertainment for all the family, with sketches from the Ticklish Allsorts comedy group, story telling sessions and a barbecue. Kennet's community partnership liaison officer Caroline Brailey, said: "We were very pleased that so many came along."