OTLEY students have been creating special Christmas postcards for a cultural pen pal exchange project.

The cards, made by Year 7 pupils at Prince Henry’s Grammar School, are being sent to Tommasso Del Bene Middle School in Maruggio, Italy.

The Otley children will also be receiving an introductory lesson in Italian and finding out about the Apulia region, of Southern Italy, as part of the project.

Later in the school year, meanwhile, they will be sending handwritten letters to Class One and Two pupils at the Italian school.

Year 7 student George Lunn said: "It’s great fun to be part of this.

"It’s particularly interesting for me as I am half Italian, so I will get to practice my Italian as well."

The school's Faculty Leader for English, Anne Cunniffe, added: "This project is a fantastic way to celebrate the value of a hand-written letter as well as giving our students the opportunity to make new friends and learn about the Italian way of life."