SCHOOLCHILDREN from Trowbridge could soon be communicating face to face with their counterparts in India.

The Clarendon School has reached the shortlist to receive funding from the BT School Awards to develop a video conferencing system.

Headteacher, Colin Kay, said: "We are very pleased to get this far and now we just have to wait until January when the winners will be announced."

The awards are for schools that use information technology to promote learning.

Clarendon Goes Global is a project that will initially allow video contact between other schools in the area, which will then be widened to include schools abroad.

Mr Kay said: "We are ensuring that our pupils know that we live in a global community.

"This is particularly relevant in Wiltshire, which is semi-rural.

"We want to widen the pupils' horizons and it is much more immediate if they can communicate with people their age face to face."

The school is developing a number of projects, including using contact with India to help the pupils in their religious education lessons.

BT offers two awards of £25,000 and 10 awards of £5,000 to schools each term.

Richard Hamer, from BT, said: "We are delighted to be able to help a number of schools each term."

Clarendon will learn if its bid has been successful on January 10.