CHILDREN dressed in the colours of the South African flag yesterday to welcome a visitor from the country.

Pupils from West View, Greatham, Eldon Grove and St Hild's primary schools in the borough of Hartlepool met the headteacher of Imperial primary school in South Africa, Colin Barron.

To celebrate the exchange visit, they took part in an England versus South Africa cricket match, and learned about Nelson Mandela.

The visit forms part of an ongoing exchange of ideas about effective schooling between the Mr Barron and West View headteacher, Andy Brown. Pupils in Hartlepool have raised funds so that their contemporaries at Imperial Primary School can buy shoes to enable them to attend school in the winter.