A group of young Broadstairs pupils are studying degree level computer programming in their spare time.

Fourteen pupils, aged between 12 and 16, are learning and understanding Java, the professional IT language, at the Charles Dickens School in Broadstairs.

Lee Sennett, director of E Learning at the school, said: "They are working to first year degree equivalent and have grasped the basics of the course very well."

The success is part of the school’s drive to embrace e-Learning and the digital revolution that is expanding classroom teaching and learning boundaries at a fast pace.

Mr Sennett said: "Other students have created fantastic digital animation work that has inspired them and unlocked their creativity - even those who we would not have particularly expected to have a flair for this type of work.

"Response is excellent and once the students grasp the capability of the programmes they work with, the move forwards quickly. They love the challenge and the problem-solving aspects that digital learning offers them and the way in which it is presented."

Principal Andrew Olsson said that the influence of advanced IT resources at the Maths and Computing specialist school embraces much of the curriculum.

He said: "We are constantly examining ways in which to utilise the capabilities of the technology constructively for students.

"For example, Bluetooth technology means students can download information onto their mobile telephones, revision podcasts are downloadable onto their laptops, and teachers are learning how to develop their resources in creative ways via IT.

"The way that learning is being delivered is changing at such a fast pace. Innovation in education is a challenge that I am pleased our students and staff have embraced fully."