AN East Lancashire grammar school and a nearby comprehensive are to join forces to boost their pupils' performance in modern languages and information technology.

They will exchange teachers, enable staff to develop skills together and promote new evening classes for the local community.

Pupils at both schools are already using video conferencing technology to improve their foreign language skills.

The partnership between Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School and Fearns Community High School is part of a nationwide government drive to get selective and non-selective schools working more closely together. It is the latest stage in Labour's retreat from its traditional hostility to grammar schools which select children at 11 on ability.

The two schools have been given the maximum grant of £20,000 under the £500,000 nationwide scheme.

The aim is for the two schools to:

hold Spanish and French speaking practice lessons and some Information and Communications Technology (ICT) lessons via video conferencing facilities; to exchange teachers for staff and curriculum development purposes in the areas of ICT, design and technology and Spanish;

to have joint INSET (teacher training) days for the Key Stage Three Strategy and for extra mural activities;

to provide translation classes to smooth the discontinuity between GCSE and AS levels in several subjects;

to provide evening classes in aspects of ICT for the local community and businesses.

Twenty-eight of the 164 grammar schools in England are taking part in the initiative. Several have been made non-selective under the government's new ballot procedure for local parents.

School Standards Minister Stephen Timms said: "The time of the 'one-size fits all' approach to secondary education has long gone. We now have a mature understanding of the benefits of a diverse system.

"But we must ensure that best practice is spread throughout the system to everyone's benefit.

"There is a wealth of talent and expertise in both he grammar and non-selective sectors - and we want to unlock the potential for both sectors to share that knowledge.'' Deputy headteacher of Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar, Dr Arthur Robinson, said the initiative was all about improving the quality of teaching at both schools and would also give teaching staff extra experience.

He said: "Our schools have very similar ICT GCSEs and we have already started swapping ideas and discussing how we think things are going.

"This is for the benefit of both schools. Investment in education is expensive and if we can use resources better, then that is using money better."

Dr Robinson said he hoped to see improvements in exam results and 'pupil motivation' at both schools as a result of the exercise.