FOREIGN students swapped Russia for Darlington to learn more about British culture.

A number of year seven students from School 639 – a Unesco school in St Petersburg, Russia - spent ten days attending classes at Carmel College, in Darlington, and taking part in visits to York, Durham, and Beamish Museum.

It is the third time in a row the students have visited Darlington as part of an immersion project and gave the pupils the chance to stay with a host family, attend lessons to improve their English and experience life in a British school.

Carmel College principal, Maura Regan, said: “It is an honour and a privilege to be able to welcome yet another group of young people from St Petersburg to our college.

“The relationships forged during such visits often last a lifetime and they certainly enrich the lives of our young people, giving them a broader perspective and helping them to become truly global citizens with a greater tolerance and understanding for other peoples and cultures.”