PUPILS with learning difficulties are celebrating passing their art GCSEs with flying colours - thanks to the help of a nearby gallery.

Nine teenagers from Broadfield Specialist School, Oswaldtwistle, took part in the groundbreaking project involving the town's Haworth Art Gallery.

The pupils spent a lesson every Friday at the Manchester Road site, working alongside gallery staff and local artists Pam Potter and Edward Foster. They also completed two lessons a week at their school as part of the intensive one-year course.

All of the youngsters - and those who had helped them - were delighted when they opened their GCSE results on Thursday and found out that they had passed.

Aiden Horrocks and Michaela Heap both received B grades; Patrick Whyment, Anthony Vear, Rosie Wright, Rebecca Harrison, Rachelle Stratton and Toni Ward got C grades and Lee Spears gained a D grade.

Broadfield Specialist School art teacher, Frankie Freeman said: "We are thrilled with the results and grateful to the gallery staff for the major part they played."

Learning and access officer at the gallery, Yvonne Robins added: "These excellent results have shown the benefits the pupils received by working alongside real artworks and learning a wide variety of art techniques from professional artists, which inspired them to stretch and develop their own artistic skills. We now look forward to working alongside the new intake of GCSE art pupils in September 2007."

The project was funded by Museums, Libraries and Archives North West. It is aimed at providing accessible and sustainable resources for all future GCSE pupils in both special and mainstream secondary schools.

Coun Lynn Wilson, Hyndburn Council's cabinet member for arts, said: "These are exciting times, as no gallery has been involved in helping children towards their GCSE in this way, and we send our congratulations to the children for these fantastic results."