Two education experts from the UK have visited an Island middle school to see how it has benefited from a partnership with a bank.

Dame Mary Richardson, chief executive of the HSBC Education Trust, and David Hopkins, HSBC Chairman in International Leadership, saw first-hand how the Partners in Leadership Programme has helped bring about improvements to the classrooms and library at Dellwood Middle School.

It has also provided books, a mail server, an Internet connection and audio-visual equipment.

The scheme began in 2001 and saw five of the Bank of Bermuda?s senior managers paired with the five principals of Bermuda?s public middle schools. Since then, all classrooms at Dellwood have been fitted with two personal computers and a printer and a school-wide reading programme has been introduced. The school?s prize-winning soccer team has also benefited from a new football kit.

Other schools to prosper under the HSBC scheme include the Whitney Institute, which received initial funding for an online curriculum; Spice Valley, which got cash to set up a homework and free instruction initiative; Sandys Secondary, which got help with the production of a senior schoolbook and Clearwater Middle School, which received computers and cash for books.

Dame Mary and Professor Hopkins also visited Warwick Academy and Bermuda College and met with representatives from the Ministry of Education and Bank of Bermuda while on the Island.