EIGHT staff at an international college based near Tenbury are to be made redundant after a decision to drop the Spanish curriculum from next September.

The principal of St Michael's College, Stuart Higgins, said the main reason for axing the curriculum was because it did not sit well with other sections of the school, where students are taught traditional GCSEs and A-levels with English language lessons.

Now the college, which is for international students only, aims to lean more towards offering a traditional British education, with extra English lessons for those who need the support.

Mr Higgins said: "We have previously run courses for Spanish students in the Spanish equivalent to GCSEs and A-levels but, over the years, the Spanish educational philosophy has proved to be very different from the English educational philosophy.

"It has been increasingly more difficult to keep both sides of the school happy."

Mr Higgins also said it had become more of a struggle to recruit well-motivated, academic Spanish students.

"We have a lot of very well behaved and very hard-working Spanish students but not enough to make it economically viable for us to run those courses."

He confirmed that some Spanish students had protested at the changes by circulating flyers around the school and that one had tried to speak out against the decision during the graduation dinner, but added that serious consideration had been given to ensure the education of Spanish students already at the school did not suffer.

"The Spanish section is unlike the British system," he explained.

"Each year is a separate year so you have to pass exams to go on.

"Traditionally, the students have only come to us for a year anyway.

"It is not going to have a negative impact on their education."

He now hopes to attract more students of different nationalities to the school, which is fast moving towards becoming a traditional British school with specialised English lessons to support international students.

"It is wonderful opportunity for them," Mr Higgins said.

"We know the world is getting smaller and smaller with communication and transportation.

"If young people from different countries do get on well together that can only be a good thing for all of us in the future."