PUPILS at a primary school in Plymouth are preparing to see the Pope.

Children and teachers from Holy Cross Catholic Primary Voluntary Aided School, in St Judes, will travel to London next week to see Pope Benedict XVI during his state visit to Britain.

They will join The Big Assembly after being invited along by Catholic church seniors due to their role in an international school partnership.

Over the past two years, the Plymouth school has been working with St John Vianney Basic Cycle School in the African state of Gambia.

An area link with Gambia was established by Plymouth City Council in December 2008 and Holy Cross and St John Vianney were one of the initial partnerships set up.

The partnership has been supported by the University of Plymouth and has received funding from the British Council and the Government's Global School Partnerships programme.

Teachers and staff have taught their pupils about life for children on the other side of the world and supported the partner school with materials and teaching.

A total of 30 members of the Plymouth school — staff, children and governors — will be attending the event at St Mary's University College in Twickenham on September 17.

It will be an open-air event lasting about two hours and involving more than 3,500 youngsters.

Holy Cross has raised funds to enable a senior representative from Gambian Education Services, Dawda Faye, to join the event. Mr Faye and the children will present a small gift of a prayer bag made from batik material and a cross, decorated by children from both schools, to the Pope.