TEACHERS at a north Lancashire school are to share their expertise with colleagues on the other side of the world.

Staff from Wennington School, near Kirkby Lonsdale, will be partnering schools in Australia and Norway.

A principal of a Melbourne special school, Denise Clarke, visited Wennington last autumn on a fact-finding trip.

She was so impressed by the ethos of the school and the provision for the 70 pupils, who have emotional, social and behavioural difficulties, that she is keen to set up a partnership relationship to allow both sets of staff to share ideas.

Mrs Clarke is also keen to follow in the footsteps of Wennington's pioneering information and communication technology work.

Head teacher Joe Prendergast has worked with a software company to install a unique Behaviour Tracking System to monitor pupils' behaviour throughout the school day.

Individual patterns of behaviour can be monitored as well as group dynamics and the system is also used in a fun way to encourage classes to compete to be the best behaved.

As well as making contact with their Australian colleagues, Wennington, which is both a residential and day school, is trying to set up links with a special school in Norway and Mr Prendergast is keen for his pupils to experience exchange trips.

He said: "We were thrilled that Mrs Clarke was so clearly impressed when she visited us.

"She was surprised by the calm and friendly atmosphere here and the fact that we try to be as much like a mainstream school as possible with pupils following the National Curriculum and moving from classroom to classroom instead of the old fashioned approach of them staying in one room all day being taught by the same teacher.

"Mrs Clarke couldn't believe that our pupils were walking around the school with laptops, but our ethos is to trust the children with a high level of responsibility and they generally repay that trust.

"We are looking forward to keeping in touch with Mrs Clarke as well as developing links with a school in Norway.

"It would be great if Norwegian pupils could visit us and for our pupils to travel there."

Lancashire County Council's special education needs adviser, Elizabeth Scott, said: "Establishing the international links is an excellent achievement for Wennington.

"The Victoria State Education Service contacted the LEA as a result of the Teachers International Professional Development initiative which we organised for the Commonwealth Office.

"They wanted to see some innovative work with pupils who have social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.

"We were pleased to suggest Wennington and are delighted that she was extremely impressed with the work she saw at the school."