A HEREFORD school is taking part in a national competition aimed at promoting access to the countryside for the disabled.

A team from the Bishop of Hereford Bluecoat School will take part in the Kielder Challenge in September.

The team of eight should include at least four disabled members. Two of these should be wheelchair users.

They will attempt eight challenging eco-events over the weekend of the final, points are awarded in each event for teamwork, communication, support and encouragement.

It is being managed by Fieldfare Trust and sponsored by HSBC Education Trust.

To gain a place in the grand final, which takes place at Kielder Forest in Northumberland, the school took on 70 other teams in 19 adventure days held throughout the country this year.

The school in Tupsley has won the final three times before.

"We are delighted to be a finalist once again, but this competition is more about getting the children there and involved in challenges rather than winning," said Jan Preece, a special needs teacher at the school.

"Getting through to the final is a bonus.

"There are very few opportunities for our children to mix with their able-bodied peers.

This is the only competition where they can compete on equal terms, it is the teamwork that they enjoy the most."

The final takes place on the weekend of Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22.