A SPECIAL school in Widnes has partnered with a school in South Africa to teach its students how to make positive contributions to the world.

Over the last three years, Brookfields Special School in Moorfield Road has developed a partnership with Ocean View Special School in Cape Town as part of Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning, a unique international education programme run by the British Council and Department for International Development.

Connecting Classrooms works with schools across the globe to help young people develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to make a positive contribution to their world.

The programme enables teachers to visit partner schools across the globe to exchange insights and ideas on how to improve teaching and global learning.

CEO of the British Council, Sir Ciaran Devane, said: "I am delighted that Brookfields School in Widnes is taking on this excellent opportunity to develop their professional practice by collaborating with teachers from South Africa and the UK.

"Their commitment to equip young people with skills and understanding for life and work in an increasingly global economy is to be commended."

Brookfields is proud to be leading a cluster of special schools in both the UK and South Africa, working together to compare practices and collaborate on projects based on developing inclusive education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Judith William, a staff member from Brookfields, said: "This project has helped me to develop a much better understanding of challenges to inclusive education.

"It is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate across cultures to contribute to the improvement of education for all.

"We hope that our special connection with Ocean View in South Africa will continue for many years as we are really seeing the benefit of collaborative working and new ways to overcome the challenges are children face on a daily basis."