WHEN headteacher Mike Hatch arrived at his new school a pupil brandished a bottle at him when he tried to break up a fight.

Youngsters were absconding on a regular basis from Crosshill Special School, which was largely isolated from the outside world of education.

Twelve years on Crosshill, in Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, is flourishing -- and helping to pioneer a project to share lessons and hi-tech resources with local mainstream comprehensives.

News of the school's success at the vanguard of the new inclusive philosophy is travelling around the world, and academics from overseas called in to see the scheme in action. Dr Windyz Ferriera, of the Federal University of Paraiba in Brazil, and Australian teacher Sharon Jones watched Crosshill classes under the gaze of Professor Mel Ainscow, from Manchester University, which helped to set up the three-year research project.

Mr Hatch explained that his charges all have moderate learning difficulties. Some also display emotional and behavioural difficulties while others are handicapped by poor sight or hearing.

Crosshill was the first special school in the country to become a technology college and it boasts impressive new resources which mainstream pupils are happy to access on one the many exchange visits. "We have 30 wireless laptops which they can use anywhere in the school and get down to work," said Mr Hatch.

Meanwhile, his own pupils might be at St Bede's RC High School, Beardwood or Pleckgate. "They go into food technology and textiles lessons, for instance, and get involved in GCSE and GNVQ work," Mr Hatch added.

Crosshill won a £42,000 grant from the local education authority to run the inclusion project. This allowed Mr Hatch to take on an additional teacher and two support assistants at the 130-pupil school.

Mr Hatch believes Crosshill is fulfilling an important role by offering a different culture with more individualised help to Blackburn's mainstream pupils. "It's a very effective partnership," he said.