SEVEN teachers and teaching assistants from Teesside schools are preparing for a new adventure as part of an overseas development scheme.

The team of teaching staff from three Stockton schools are travelling to Peru during the October half-term.

Funded by the British Council, the teachers are the first group in the UK to travel to Peru as part of the Teachers' International Professional Development scheme.

It offers opportunities for teachers to experience best practice in international education, by participating in short-term study visits to other countries.

The teachers and teaching assistants from Billingham South Community Primary School, William Cassidi CE Aided Primary School and Blakeston Community School, will be in Peru's capital city, Lima, from October 15.

The visit will offer the group a chance to sample another culture and learn from people with a rich heritage, enabling them to pass on what they have learned to their students.

Clif Bingham, Stockton Borough Council's advisor for induction and training has been selected as group leader for the expedition.

He said: "Everyone involved has been discussing with their colleagues and students exactly what we want to learn from the visit.

"This is a unique opportunity and we are also keen to teach the people of Lima a little bit about our own culture here in Stockton.

"We've collected postcards of the area, photographs of the schools and taken pictures of some of the students, so we can show the children in Peru exactly what their peers here in Britain look like.

"The visit does have an important educational purpose and we will also be taking examples of work from all of the key stages so we can see how the curriculum differs."