A £450,000 development project due to start today at a school in Barnard Castle will have benefits for both its students and the wider community.

Work will start on two buildings at Teesdale Comprehensive School, a construction workshop to the north of the school and a virtual learning environment in a courtyard near the drama studio.

The school has developed a partnership with Staindrop Business and Enterprise College and Wolsingham School and will use the virtual learning environment to work together.

The facility will have computers with wireless internet together with a video conferencing facility.

"One of the big benefits is that if some students want to take something like Russian or Spanish, they don't have to be shipped to another school. They can use the video-conferencing to join in lessons from another location,"

said Colin Cartwright, business manager at Teesdale School.

The school has been piloting a GCSE in construction and will hope to use the new workshop to offer a range of associated qualifications, such as the 14 to 19 diplomas.

It is also hoped the school can adapt the building to teach courses such as painting and decorating.

Mr Cartwright said it would also become available to the wider the community.

"The construction workshop has its own entrance, so we are hoping that it can be used by people in the area for things like adult education classes. We hope it can become a real community facility."

Headteacher Paul Harrison said: "We have got this investment, which will be an asset to the school, but I'm more than happy for other people to take advantage of it."

The new developments will also bring an end to students having to walk 15 minutes to Green Lane School to take part in some classes.

"Having Green Lane was a big headache, in terms of health and safety, in terms of knowing the whereabouts of children and in terms of organising timetables,"

said Mr Harrison.

The school raised 25 per cent of the money needed for the projects, but also secured funding from One NorthEast and the County Durham Economic Partnership.

It is hoped that both the construction workshop and the virtual learning environment will be finished by January.

Any community groups interested in using the facilities are asked to call Mr Cartwright on 01833-638116.