AN exciting new venture is underway for Okehampton Primary School as it prepares to forge partnerships with schools in Europe.

The project means that staff from the school will have the opportunity to visit their counterparts in European countries and vice versa.

The scheme, run by the Comenius Project through the British Council, aims to encourage and promote schools in other countries towards staff and curriculum development.

Headteacher of Okehampton Primary Brian Cunningham said: 'The whole plan is for us to explore the possibility of doing a curriculum developed project about what we can learn out in the environment.

'Part of that will be the children in these countries learning about culture, the ways in which we are different and the ways in which we are the same. We will learn about each other and about our schools.'

Mr Cunningham said the opportunity presented itself after a chance conversation with a colleague: 'I thought it was too good an opportunity to miss so I put in a bid which was accepted.'

The bid will allow Mr Cunningham, along with another headteacher from Devon, to make the visit to Germany to meet headteachers from schools in Dortmund, Estonia, Poland and possibly Spain and Greece.

Mr Cunningham said: 'The bid was successful and we now have funding to go over to Germany to meet with the heads.

'If everyone agrees, we will all put in a bid to the British Council by February and if that's successful then the two-year project will begin in September.'

Mr Cunningham said that if the bid was successful then it would mean a substantial amount of funding into Okehampton Primary School and would see three trips a year for staff both here and from European schools, enabling them to learn more about each other's culture and schools.

The Comenius partnerships enable pupils, students and staff across Europe to work together on joint projects and is made up of three broad types of activity.

The Comenius In-Service Training provides European in-service training for staff involved in school education and allows opportunities for teachers, helping to develop teaching resources.

The project will mean big changes for Okehampton Primary, which has grown and developed over the years thanks to a new eco garden and play areas.

It will enable staff to broaden their knowledge of the different cultures in European schools and ultimately to help the children to learn about the differences and similarities between them.

Mr Cunningham said: 'In terms of widening our European awareness, it will be fantastic for our children and for Okehampton — it will certainly put Okehampton on the map.'

He said that he will be fully prepared for the trip over to Germany: 'I will be putting together some packs of pictures and postcards so that the headteachers can put them up and display them for the children in the European schools. Then they can see a little bit more about us.'