Dame Allan's becomes British rep for the resistance.

An international organisation dedicated to preserving memories of the French resistance movement has chosen a North school to be its British representative.

The Relais de la Memoire was founded by a number of former resistance fighters and has brought together schools in France, Germany and Poland to commemorate the movement. Now Dame Allan's School in Newcastle has become the British representative of the organisation, which aims to promote reconciliation and understanding between European countries.

The link came about when Polly Moseley, an old girl of Dame Allan's, was asked to find British schools to join the organisation through her work with the British Council.

Dame Allan's pupil Helen Koelmans, a 13-year-old from Spital Tongues in Newcastle, travelled to Krakow in Poland for a Relais de la Memoire conference and the school is hoping to send another group abroad later this year.

Dame Allan's director of studies Andrea Fairbairn said: "A lot of the resistance fighters are well into their eighties now and they're worried that their stories will disappear when they die.

"They have memories of things like the concentration camps and they want to make sure that nothing like that ever happens again. That's why they brought together schools in Germany, Poland and France, and we're the first British school to get involved.

"There are enormous benefits for us in terms of history and RS teaching.

"But just to be involved in such an exciting project with a huge profile in Europe is a fantastic opportunity."

The group is funded by the European Union and has regular meetings in each of its partner countries.

Dame Allan's hopes to host a visit by some of the organisation's members to tell pupils about the resistance movement.