PUPILS at a Tyldesley school are reporting bullying via text messages to teachers.

The scheme was set up at St Mary's RC High School after staff realised students were reluctant to talk face-to-face.

The school has also trained some pupils as mentors for bullying victims.

The Rawtensall company 2 Ergo developed the technology for the texting system. The firm also sponsors St Mary's specialist college status.

Pupils are encouraged to text senior members of staff if they have witnessed bullying at the school.

They may not be willing to push a note under a teacher's door, but they would send a text

The texting must be done out of school hours because mobile phones are banned in the classroom.

Associate deputy headteacher John Proctor says early indications are that the system is working well.

He said: "Our policy is not to have mobile phones at school, because they can be disruptive, but the children have mobile phones and there is a text culture.

"They may not be willing to push a note under a teacher's door, but they would send a text."

2 Ergo, based in Rawtenstall, has also developed a system to text parents when their children are absent from school.

St Mary's hopes to use the same software to allow parents to access a database of exam results to check on their children's academic progress.