PUPILS in Darlington have persuaded one of the nation's leading youth experts to visit their school.

Students from Longfield School approached the Children's Commissioner, Professor Al Aynsley-Green, at a conference at The Sage, in Gateshead.

School council members Keeley Barkley, 15, and Hayley Jenkins, 16, invited him to their school after the Longfield students were the only ones to tell the conference - attended by schools across the North - that their ideas were listened to and acted on.

Prof Aynsley-Green took up the offer and spent a day in the town, visiting Longfield to meet pupils. He attended a school council meeting and toured Darlington in the school minibus.

The school council took Prof Aynsley-Green on a tour of the town to show him that there was a lack of facilities and activities for young people in the evenings.

Hayley, who is head girl and chair of the council, said she had enjoyed the visit and found Mr Aynsley-Green easy to talk to.

She said: "At the conference we thought, 'we are only going to get one chance at this, he may say he is very busy and we are just a little school', but he didn't."

The school council gets a say on many important decisions in the school, from the appointment of caterers to the appointment of teachers.

After the visit, Prof Aynsley-Green wrote to headteacher Keith Cotgrave.

He wrote: "I was impressed and inspired by what I saw at Longfield School.

"It is clear that the children feel like equal partners in how their school is run, and I have no doubt that it is this sense of empowerment which helps to create such a positive and nurturing environment."

Keeley said: "Our views and actions have already made an impact at this school."

Prof Aynsley-Green said: "Participation is good thing, it is going on in this school and the young people we see here are the future leaders of our community."

Longfield is undertaking a students' survey, giving pupils the chance to say what they feel about various aspects of their education.

Mr Cotgrave said: "Our students' opinions are much valued and we will continue to work extremely hard to ensure their voices are heard."

Prof Aynsley-Green was appointed by the Government last year to promote awareness of the views and interests of children.