Surrey school pupils volunteering in Peru

A group of teenagers from Surrey are currently undertaking voluntary work in South America, as part of a short 'gap year' experience organised by their school.

Following two years of preparation, nine 16 and 17-year-old pupils from Sunbury's Bishop Wand School flew from London Heathrow to Peru on Thursday (July 21st) to begin their adventure, the Surrey Herald reports.

The trip will see the teens teaching English to local students in Puno, before climbing the 15th century Inca site Machu Picchu towards the end of their stay.

Jo Morgan, a physics teacher accompanying the pupils, said: "They are a cracking bunch of students and I'll be there if there are any problems but they are doing most of it by themselves."

She added that pupils would be responsible for their own individual budget, issued to them on the first day.

Meanwhile, Ashville College in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is this month giving its students a taste of gap year travel, by taking a group of 19 pupils to the Open Arms Infant Home in Malawi.

See the different gap year destinations on offer