A multi-lingual spelling whiz-kid has seen off competition from more than 60,000 competitors to reach the final of the Routes into Languages Spelling Bee competition.

Ellie Nanni, a student at North London Collegiate School in Canons Drive, Edgware, will on July 4 head to Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge in which she and another Year 7 pupils will compete to correctly spell the most number of words in French, Spanish or German in just 60 seconds.

Project manager of Anglia Ruskin University, where Routes into Languages is based, said: “We’re amazed at how the Spelling Bee continues to grow year on year.

“It gives Year 7 pupils the opportunity to really improve their language skills, while also having a lot of fun in the process.

“Studies have shown that being able to speak a foreign language has many other benefits, including improving memory, multitasking and decision-making.

"Therefore the skills these youngsters have shown in reaching the final should prove useful in other subjects as well.”

Prizes will be presented after the final by the Deputy Mayor of Cambridge Robert Dryden, John Evans and Angeliki Petrits of the European Commission and Justin Sycamore of Vocab Express.