AN assistant head teacher will travel to Malawi to help underprivileged children and school staff develop computer skills.

Sophie Jacques, who works at Radcliffe Primary School, will travel with six other teachers from across the North West to help pupils at three schools to improve their computing.

The visit has been organised as part of a project led by the University of Manchester, Computing at Schools and the charity Ripple Africa.

Miss Jacques said: "Volunteering will give me a unique insight into education in a different part of the world.

"It will also enable me to help children who have significantly less than those I usually teach and will provide me with a new personal challenge."

Miss Jacques, who has worked at Radcliffe Primary since September 2016, will travel to Malawi on Friday, May 25 for a two-week visit.

The team will stay in a hut on the shore of Lake Malawi and work at Bandawe Mixed, Bandawe Girls and Kapanda Community Day Secondary School during their stay.

In Malawi, students often learn in classes of more than 100, in contrast with the 29 pupils Miss Jacques teaches in Radcliffe.

She said: "Many students walk for up to 10km to attend school, often barefoot.

"The schools have minimal computing facilities but we will be taking equipment donated by local businesses, schools and the University of Manchester to support them.

"Class sizes are very different to those I am used to in England and working with chalk on blackboards will be a novel experience."

Miss Jacques, from Tottington, has been teaching for nine years. She trained as a 'Computing at School Master' teacher around five years ago and works with the University of Manchester to improve computing provision at Radcliffe Primary School as well as other schools in the area.

In order to help fund her trip, pupils at Radcliffe Primary dressed in black, red and green — the colours of the Malawian flag — for a day.

Their support on Friday, May 4 helped raise £250 which will be added to Miss Jacques fundraising efforts when she takes part in the Manchester 10km on May 20.

To support her trip, visit https://rippleafricavolunteering.everydayhero.com/uk/sophie-1.