YOUNGSTERS hope to foster strong links with the Caribbean through an exchange scheme with Trinidad.

Staff and pupils of St Johns Chapel Primary School, near Bishop Auckland, are joined in a partnership scheme with Mundo Nuevo RC Primary School, Trinidad.

The scheme is backed by the British Council’s Global Schools programme.

It involves staff from each school visiting the other to strengthen links between them and to learn about each other.

Gail Austin-Pinder, the Trinidad school’s principal arrived in the North East for a visit which lasts until May 2 at the weekend.

The two schools are also running a linked theme of sustainability in the areas around the two schools.

Kerrie Evea, headteacher of St John’s, said: "We applied to the British Council for a partnership with a southern hemisphere community about 18months ago.

"The original application was for a partnership in Columbia but that didn’t work out and this link came about instead.

"We’re doing various projects together including one on sustainability as both schools are similar in that they’re both small and rural.

"The children are very excited about the whole thing and it’s something we would like to keep going.

"We’ve made friends in another part of the world and we hope to make a return visit with staff and pupils."

Mrs Evea visited the Trinidad school earlier this year and the British Council gave a grant of £2,100 for the two schools scheme.