School holidays look set to take on a different meaning for a junior teacher from Edgbaston.

Wendy Packer, head of English at The Blue Coat School, will join seven other teachers from the UK working in the refugee camps of Sudan during the week-long February half-term.

In temperatures of 40 degrees and with class sizes of more than 100, the placement - organised by Education Action International - will certainly prove challenging.

Since its foundation in 1923, EAI has helped many thousands of men, women and children to gain an education. A non-religious charity, EAI supports education and literary initiatives to enable societies emerging from conflict to lift themselves out of poverty.

The overseas placement has already captured the imagination of Blue Coat's pupils, whose month-long spelling for Sudan competition netted more than £3,000 of the £5,000 needed to support a school for a year.

More than 240 pupils, aged seven to 11, were asked to compile as many words as possible from the competition's 16 letter title, with 25, 50 and 100-word targets per age group.

Top spellers Nick Bleasdale and William Jones weighed in with more than 1,100 words each - a spellbinding achievement.

A delighted Wendy said: "I am absolutely thrilled by the children's response to this initiative. The project offers a unique and privileged opportunity to experience life in a refugee camp and to find out what it's like to be a teacher in such a harsh environment."

Deputy headmaster Richard Lynn added: "At a time when we want our children to develop into global citizens, the Sudan project has really brought home the value of fundraising for the wider community.

"We're delighted that the children (and their parents) have taken this initiative to heart," he added.

Africa calling: Wendy Packer with pupils Edward Jones, William Jones, Nicholas Bleasdale and Franziska Walker-Street.