A SCHOOL has benefitted from a government grant that allows children to experience abroad trips at reduced prices.

Pele Trust primaries including Ponteland Primary, Darras Hall Primary, Richard Coates CofE, Heddon St Andrews C of E, Belsay has this year received a grant in excess £100, 000 from the government Turing Scheme.

This fund facilitates mobility and partnerships overseas for schools, universities and other groups.

So far over 210 lucky children from Pele Trust’s y5 and y6 have been able to travel at a vastly reduced price to Greece, Spain and France this year.

“The most exciting aspect is working with a partner school in another country.

"It really gives our children an insight into life elsewhere for young children and helps them develop empathy, independence, resilience, communication and skills for life.

"They realise despite language and geography we really have a lot in common with our global neighbours. And they have a fantastic time travelling with their friends," Ruth Magee, international projects coordinator said.

30 pupils from Darras Hall, Richard Coates, Ponteland Primary travelled to Valencia, Spain in April followed by a 30-strong delegation heading to Piraeus, Greece in May; a group visited Paris in early June;finally two sorties to Northern France at the end of June.

"Lynn Blain, Deputy CEO of the Pele Trust and Head at Ponteland Primary adds: "The trips are the culmination of year long projects in school, for example our trip to Greece was centred on power and governance finding out about the origins and democracy, comparing local landmarks and discussing the importance - and controversy- of museum artefacts.

"Pupils enjoyed international zoom calls, exchanging letters, making presentations to share.

"The children return with such joy and wonder of having discovered the world and made new friends.

"It's very important to us to nurture this experience as part of our Global Goals curriculum and values in school.

"We are delighted when our new partners from around the world ask to visit us.

"It really has been a whole school effort in each of our primaries.

"Everyone has benefited positively from these projects in some way."