The school partnerships have been developed through an initiative brokered by the Biblelands charity, and partly funded by the British Council.

Teachers from Wotton Wawen C of E Primary School, Wilmcote C of E Primary School, Harries C of E Secondary School, and Exhall Grange Special School and Science College first visited the Biblelands’ sponsored schools last November.

Adam Mosley, from Harries School, Rugby; Sheila Burt, from Wotten Wawen; Stephen Brehany, from Wilmcote; and Jeanette Lomas, the deputy head at Exhall Grange, were each assigned to Biblelands-funded schools in Beit Jala and Jerusalem, one of which was the Helen Keller Centre for the Visually Impaired.

More teachers from Harries School are to visit Jerusalem in October, and pupils there are raising funds to buy new furniture for Hope School — which currently has to seat some of its 150 pupils on “picnic” chairs.

The association between Exhall Grange and the Helen Keller Centre is also to be extended, with Exhall pupils raising funds for a computer for the school to facilitate the link.