A GIFTED high school pupil has reached the final of a UK wide foreign language spelling bee.

Hannah Bishop, 12, is one of 108 students to make the final from over 75,000 year seven pupils across the country who entered.

The Routes into Language National Spelling Bee students are given 200 words to learn in either French, German or Spanish and during the competition the pupils must successfully translate and spell as many of possible in a minute.

Hannah, who attends Notley High School, will now compete in the Spanish competition on July 1 at Anglia Ruskin University's Cambridge campus.

She said: "I am excited and a bit nervous - I really want to win because I have big passion for Spanish.

"I would be over the moon if I won."

Julie Bishop, Hannah's mother, said: "She puts 200 percent effort in anything she does, she really puts her heart and soul into her work.

"We are going to take her to Spain next year, so she can mingle with some locals and practice."

Agnes Harris, Modern Foreign Languages Faculty Leader at Notley High, said: "Hannah has practised relentlessly at school during lunchtime with her Spanish Teacher Miss Rabhi.

"She also practised with our Spanish assistant Maria who said Hannah could spell more words than she could in a minute.

"We wish you all the best for the final on the 1st July - Mucha suerte Hannah."

The competition has been set up by Anglia Ruskin University to encourage pupils to build up an interest in languages when they start secondary school.

Sarah Schechter, Project Manager for Routes into Languages East at Anglia Ruskin University, said: “We’re very excited to be able to give these talented youngsters a chance to show their flair for languages here at Anglia Ruskin University.

“Evidence suggests the benefits of learning languages stretch far beyond the practicalities of being a useful tool when living, working or travelling abroad and it is very encouraging that we have had so many entries to this year’s competition."

For more information about Routes into Languages, visit www.routesintolanguages.ac.uk.