COMPREHENSIVE school students will rise to the challenge of forming their own construction company as they set out to redevelop a football ground.

Pupils from Sunnydale School, Shildon, and Bishop Barrington, King James, School and Community College and St John's RC Comprehensive, in Bishop Auckland, are being asked to suggest alternative uses for Bishop Auckland Football Club's Kingsway Ground as part of a theoretical exercise.

As the Bishops play their final matches at the ground the students have been set the task of redeveloping it by South Church based company M&M Plasline and the Construction Industry Training Board.

Each group of 13 and 14-year-olds were asked to set up their own construction company to handle the task. The work will contribute to their design and technology lessons.

Support for the project has come from a range of sources, and each group will be assisted by a professional from the construction industry.

The first part of the project was set at a launch at Sunnydale Leisure Centre, in Shildon.

As part of setting up their own company, the students have to delegate jobs to individuals, design a logo, letterheads and brochures.

By the end of the project they should have come up with some idea for community use of the Kingsway ground.

John Straughan, of M&M Plasline, said: "It is an exciting new joint venture between business and education. If it is successful we intend running it as an annual event."

Gillian Bulman, of the CITB, said: "I hope the challenge will inform young people of the sorts of skills required by employers and help them develop some of those."